The Connoisseur: An Illustrated Magazine for Collectors (March, 1916)

Page 1

TheConnoisseur An Illustrated Magazine For Collectors Edited by C. R. Grundy Vol. XLIV. (JANUARY—APRIL, 1916) LONDON PUBLISHED BY THE Proprietor, W. CLAUDE JOHNSON, at THE EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISEMENT OFFICES OF THE CONNOISSEUR, AT 1, DUKE STREET, St. JAMEs’s, S.W. 1916

Page 2

LA MAIN BY P. L. DEBUCOURT Pinx et Sculp., 1788

Page 3

MARCH, I9I16. The Art of the Cofferer THE respective particulars of structure and ornamentation, though distinct in themselves, cannot be considered wholly apart from each other, specially when the difficult subject of moulding has to be taken into account. In a framed chest the placing and fitting of the edge mouldings will not unfrequently suggest an approximate date when little further evi- dence is wanting, and as these mouldings may in a modified way affect the structure or be affected by it, a union of the two studies is at once achieved. There is every ground for believing that the earliest decorations scored or carved on the surface of coffers were sparing rather than ornate. For any complete evidence in wood we cannot go back further than the fs . wee wit ie the La Te PAY Ned CROeE No. I.—COFFER IN HINDRINGHAM CHURCH, NORFOLK VoL. XLIV.—No. 175.—c II.—Decoration 123 iil, iy ul ———— ! Wty, Ms ame = ’ By Fred Roe, R.I. second half of the twelfth century, and of this epoch details are of the scantiest. The coffer at Hindring- ham, in Norfolk, with its interlaced arcade, is the most perfect, and certainly the most characteristic, specimen of its kind. With the cult of the geometrical roundel which followed so closely after, we have not only specimens in abundance, but also some very curious evidence as to the commencement and eventual abandonment of such decoration, owing to exigencies of some sort or another. The parish church at Bosham, in Sussex, with its. Saxon and Romanesque details and its existing associations with Harold and Canute, contains one of the most interesting thirteenth - century coffers LATE TWELFTH CENTURY

Page 4

The Connoisseur No. II.—THIRTEENTH-CENTURY COFFER IN BOSHAM CHURCH, SUSSEX which yet remain to us. The story has already been told how in 1907 a silver Anglo-Irish halfpenny of the reign of Edward I. was discovered amidst the dust and cobwebs which filled its secret tray-well, proving that this hiding-place had remained unex- plored for over five hundred years. But there is yet dwarf pillars. It was, however, intended to decorate the front with whorls or roundels, as in the case of its near brethren at Clymping, Midhurst, and Felpham, Close inspection will reveal on the right- hand side of the jfront panel a circle very lightly scored, and true as though carried out with a pair of (fiey m No. IlI.—FrooT OF THE COFFER IN BOSHAM CHURCH, SUSSEX another obscure feature about this chest which has remained unremarked hitherto, and which it has been reserved to the present historian to notice. The Bosham coffer is a very plain one, the sole decoration being the fashioning of the inner edges of its legs into 124 compasses.* It is the outset of decoration in the pre- vailing fashion, a beginning which has been suddenly * This circle is faintly indicated in our illustration of the Bosham coffer.

Page 5

NO. IV.—CUPBOARD LEMP. HENRY VII. AT THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM

Page 6

The Connoisseur No. V.— CUPBOARD arrested by some factor which will now never be known. The craftsman may perhaps have died; it is unlikely that he struck for higher pay, as con- temporary rules of the Guild of Cofferers were very rigorous about such little matters. It is just possible that the donor, or the ecclesiastical authorities, may have thought that the outlay was already sufficient, or it may be that some misunderstanding arose between the parties concerned. At all events, the unfinished decoration remains a mystery, just as much as the incompleted border on Sir Edward Barry’s linen- panelled credence at Ockwells. It should be noted that the Bosham coffer is a distinct contradiction of the nonsense which is often promulgated as to the method of splitting the wood by wedges in early pieces of furniture, for the marks of the saw still remain visible on its front, in spite of an age of some seven hundred years.* It has been from time im- memorial more blessed to achieve ends by the readiest methods, and as it is better to cut your meat with a knife rather than with a rolling-pin, so do I deem the wedge theory a figment of imagination. But to return to the art of the cofferer. The space at.disposal is not large enough to go * The trenails fastening the central panel of the Bosham coffer have been strengthened and protected by broad-headed nails being driven into them —a rare detail. COMMENCEMENT OF SIXTEENTH CENTURY 126 AT THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM into the niceties of difference between the Early Gothic traceried stages and the developments they led up to. The history of coffer decoration is, in more than any other article of furniture, a record of the architectural styles which have consecutively pre- vailed in the country to which such pieces belong. Yet, in spite of very insufficient arguments to back up such a statement, there is ample reason to believe that the fashion of ornamenting woodwork lagged a decade or more behind the successive changes of the Pointed periods in stone. An equally true resemblance to flowing Decorated or pure Perpendicular in furniture or fittings may be referred usually to a slightly later date than contemporaneous structures in the harder material, though why this should be the case it, is difficult to explain. Some extraordinary anomalies may be found in the mouldings on pieces of pre-Reformation furniture, which seem to have no reasonable explanation. Take, for instance, the Early English period (thirteenth century), when the mouldings on our national build- ings might have challenged the whole world for very beauty. Contemporary coffers, though often exhibit- ing decoration of a semi-architectural type, were flat and wanting in outline or recessment ; and the same conditions happened in France, where the architec- tural mouldings approximated closely to our own. In

Page 7

. a 4 wie ie Suaertntilin. % Oi inicnsessta » Bop 7) (we EE PS ror eae a ss s : nx ~ &- 127 ~ yer Se ~ > s ra ee > a eee Le ee -— 7 me ‘ stat ae * So ° : - ~ ed & a ae _~ 3 3 vat ae 4 ¥ AT THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM TEMP. HENRY VII. NO. VI.—COFFER OF N. FARES

Page 8

The Connoisseur No. VII.—CUPBOARD the succeeding Decorated style, when the members, though not so bold, were yet more numerous, there was but little appreciation of this form of embellish- ment on the part of the cofferer. It was not until the decadence of the Perpendicular period had set in, and framed receptacles been adopted for general use, that the native craftsman showed any partiality for mouldings, and then mainly by the adoption of a series of grooves running along the length of the stiles and stretchers. Two of the plates to the present article (Nos. iv. and v.) exhibit this distinctiveness very aptly. The more important of these pieces, which are both in the Victoria and Albert Museum, has a supposition attached to it, which, though in- teresting, is very far from being probable. ‘This piece is a tall standing-press of rugged construction, fashioned in the flat shape associated with the reigns of the two last Henrys. It is, by the way, wrongly described as a ‘‘ Livery Cupboard,” and is imagined by some to be connected with Prince Arthur, eldest son of Henry VII., who died in 1502, in his sixteenth year. The front of this cupboard is carved with numerous rosettes and wheels, and the doors to its two stages are placed in the centre, as was customary to this period. The top door and its attendant side panels are pierced with windows of a late Gothic type IN THE POSSESSION 128 OF MR. L. REYNOLDS of tracery, that in the door being pointed and those in the panels being flat-topped. There is nothing about the cupboard to suggest that it belongs to any other period than the epoch named, and its make is certainly English; but the attribution of its ownership is based on certain decorations which, it is asserted, represent the ostrich feathers pertaining to the Prince of Wales. For my part I can see no indications of feathers in these designs, which have every resem- blance to the ‘‘bill,” a hafted weapon with hooked blade, much used during the fifteenth century. © The piece is so rare and interesting that it needs no enrichment with such a legend, and with all reserva- tion I must state my belief that the device represents in some way a rebus on the name of the original owner, or an intimation as to his calling or pursuit.* While the debased Gothic style yet lingered, it was the custom to pierce the doors and panels of cup- boards and coffers with traceried windows and wheels, as in the last-mentioned specimen, and we occasion- ally find vestiges that these perforated designs were backed with scarlet cloth similar to the fashion which * No. W. 15, 1912, Victoria and Albert Museum. Presented by Robert Mond, Esq., F.S.A., through the National Art Collections Fund.

Page 9

The Art of the Cofferer prevailed in Germany during the Middle Ages. Many a fine old cupboard which still retained remains of its former embellishments has been stripped of them with the conventional rose-bush and flowering, and on the obverse with a vine-trail and the inscription ‘‘N. Fares,” accompanied by an object resembling a No. VIII.—END OF THE CUPBOARD IN THE POSSESSION OF MR. L. REYNOLDS in attempts to make a clean job of the piece by some ignorant owner. With antiquities such senseless proceedings are irremediable. One parallel case of vandalism, though not connected with the art of the cofferer, occurred some few years ago within the scope of my personal observation. A ‘‘placate,” a rare piece of armour in vogue during the fifteenth century, was entrusted by its owner to some local in- competent to oil, and he, while performing this duty indifferently well, took particular trouble to clean off the last fragment of crimson velvet with which the relic had been lined. Another rare domestic piece of the cofferer’s art which has been acquired of recent years by the Victoria and Albert Museum suggests a history of its primary use in the form and manner of its decora- tions. This is an oak coffer carved on its reverse 129 skull-cap. The reverse side is flanked with buttresses, and on one end alone appears the monogram N. F., surmounted by a similar skull-cap. The lid is very massive and weighty, and bears on its fore-edge a beautiful Gothic moulding. It is extremely probable that this highly interesting piece may have been used in the business premises of some man of high stand- ing; the end destitute of carving would be placed against the wall, and on the opening side of the coffer the owner would sit to attend to his calling. His name on the obverse side would thus be visible to all who waited upon him in his office, reminding them of his honoured name, and the carved monogram on the side would also be seen by those who passed the counter into the inner sanctum for a private con- sultation. ‘This unique piece was formerly elevated on legs, and an arcade of depressed Gothic arches

Page 10

lhe Connoisseur appears between the buttresses on the side which The vine-trail on the Fares coffer is worthy of would face the public, as well as a single arch beneath special notice, being of an essentially Gothic type and No. [X.—CUPBOARD IN THE POSSESSION OF MR. T. C. PARKER the monogram on its carved end. No arches were differing in many respects from the analogous decora- placed on the side which Master Fares would sit at, tion depicted in the illustrations of two framed chests the omission being obviously for comfort in accom- in the portion of this article devoted to construction. modating his knees beneath the body of the coffer. The design and cutting of the trail on the Fares No. X.—DESK IN THE POSSESSION OF MR. T. C. PARKER 130

Page 11

The Art of the Cofferer coffer might well be mistaken for fourteenth-century work were it not for undoubted indications which —e STN SS nueenerteemneeetn gener that no sign of this decoration appears on either the South peneeens armoire attributed to Prince See am non at Ramee No. XI.—JESTER PANEL AT RYE HOUSE point to this relic belonging to a period somewhere about the termination of the fifteenth century. That fanciful decoration known as the “linen panel” is said to have originated in Flanders during the fifteenth century, though it probably first made its appearance in France. Our own national speci- mens of this ornament, however, seldom date from so early a period as that just named. They are almost exclusively incorporated in framed furniture of a reign not anterior to Henry VIII., and it is noticeable 131 Arthur, or the Fares coffer, both of which may be accepted as up-to-date productions of their epoch. The design may have been suggested by folds of drapery in some capacity or another, and its various forms were often highly ornamental and decorative. Nevertheless, we occasionally find a piece in which the original intention seems to have been lost and an almost new form of decoration evolved in the process. A cupboard in the possession of Mr. T. C. Parker, of Skirwith Abbey, Cumberland, is a curious instance

Page 12

The Connotsseur of this modification, a type which it has been asserted by some, without a shadow of authority, was intended to represent reed pens and the accompanying parchment scrolls. The Renaissance brought about a revolution in the matter of mould- ings, at least with pieces of the more fashionable type. Splendid as many of the pre-Reformation coffers and cupboards undoubtedly were, such mouldings as they possessed were comparable only to the rough-hewn laws of Alfred’s time, as opposed to the advanced learning and legal quibbles imported by the Norman conquerors. Italian cunning was never more apparent than in the devising of mouldings, and our cof- ferer’s art gained in subtlety what it forfeited in national character. The Italian knew the best manner of joining his mouldings on to the re- turn of the transoms, and how to carry them on to the very surface of the panels themselves by the employment of mitres. And the delicate beauties of the Southern arabesques are rarely equalled. The craft of marquetry, or inlay- ing with coloured woods, which the Italians brought over, was freely used for the purpose of enriching the exterior of chests and cabinets, superseding to a No. XII.—PANEL TEMP. HENRY VIII. great extent the employment of the painter’s art. Flat doors, which it had hitherto been the custom to adorn with religious paintings and portraits, now became intersected with geometrical patterns and de- vices, executed in holly, cherry-tree, and other woods. Among these the intricate strap designs of Elizabeth’s reign are the most beautiful. With marquetry coffers, on whicha multi- tude of buildings are depicted, it is not unusual to find certain German prototypes whichso closely resemble our home-made pieces that at first sight it is difficult to believe the work could not be executed by the same craftsman. In most cases, however, the German aarticle will be found to antedate the English, however closely their respective embellishments may approximate. The Renaissance brought about the return of the semi-circular arch, which was not unfrequently accom- panied by a sort of leafed spandril reminiscent of the Gothic times. The shape of these arches was ofttimes a pitfall in the dark days of collecting, and even now one may occasionally hear some local Oldbuck hold forth on the ‘‘Norman” features of a purely Eliza- bethan coffer, and then suggest that the spandrils No. XIII.—sIXTEENTH-CENTURY MARQUETERIE CHEST ~ 132

Page 13

The Art of the Cofferer actually herald the approaching change to the first Pointed style. Adszt tnvidia. Some of the decorative efforts in flowering which century, tarrying only in sequestered retreats, as most customs do. In fact, the whole country seems to have been in a continuous and irresistible state of No. XIV.—SIXTEENTH-CENTURY PANEL the Renaissance rolled up are mysteries to this day, and will probably remain so. What, for instance, was the origin or signification of that extraordinary vegetable known as the “Tudor Flower”—a misnomer, by the way, for it made its appearance in France before the times of the Tudor dynasty? Again, what about that egregious form of pink which came so much into vogue during Elizabeth’s reign? It was in no way a national badge. The later propensity to de- pict tulips we can understand from the very mania which ushered in this mode of ornamentation, but it does not appear that there was ever a corresponding craze for pinks in the days of the Virgin Queen. Contemporaneously with the times when these strange flowers were adopted in England, the practice also obtained of scoring the transoms above the panels which they helped to enclose, instead of carrying the mouldings continuously around. The sloping dust-chamfer at the foot was, as we know, a utilitarian feature in Gothic times, but this scoring could have had no possible intention, un- less it was to obviate a little trouble in fitting and joining the return mouldings one to another. The fantastic heads enclosed in roundels and ovals, which had been so fashionable in Henry VIII.’s reign, seem to have declined in favour to- ward the latter part of the sixteenth No. XV.—ATLAS ON CHEST DATED 1639 yc ¥ . ee ‘ f ae Seiwa a i ee ce Lo en ae i 433 transition. When Charles II. attempted to fix the fashion of dress, declaring his ‘resolution of setting a fashion for clothes which he will alter never,” he palpably ignored the fact that the great forces of demand and supply ordain that matters of art never do remain still. Hence it is more difficult than most amateurs imagine to determine the age of any specimen (failing direct and incon- trovertible proof) without weighing all evidence as to locality and hand- ling. The carved terminal figures which were first applied to English chests during the third quarter of the sixteenth century had a fair run in popular favour, and many examples bearing Atlantes or Caryatides on their uprights, which are superficially placed as belonging to Elizabeth’s time, actually date from a period forty years or more after her decease. The diamond pattern, which we find so freely incorporated in the geo- metrical patterns of the days of the last Tudor queen, degenerated dur- ing Jacobean times to a bald and somewhat undistinguished ornamen- tation, which recurs with irritating frequency. During the seventeenth century the English people became partial to the Dutch fashion of ap- n plying split balusters and pendants ! to the stiles of their chests and cup- boards, but the perforated ornaments of strap which the craftsmen of the

Page 14

The Connoisseur Low Countries were so fond of affixing to their furni- __ still continued to be made became severely utilitarian, ture do not appear to have gained favour here to and the cofferer’s craft came to an end so far as any great extent. During the late period of oak, any artistic interest is concerned. No. XVI.—TYPES OF TUDOR FLOWERING receptacles for household use began to be furnished In this article the decorative manipulation of wood with additional conveniences, and soon the chest has alone been discussed, no attempt being made to of drawers almost entirely superseded the ordinary touch upon equipages and fittings of iron, which is lidded box. With this remodelling such chests as a subject for special consideration. | No. XVII.—JACOBEAN OAK CHEST 134

Page 15

{Photo Mansell MADAME DE POMPADOUR BY LATOUR At Versailles

Page 16

sok ese Mh s+ Cae

Page 17

Some American Bookplates ES as good almost kill a Man as kill a good Book ; who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God’s image; but he who destroys a good Book, kills reason itself, kills the image of God as-it were in the eye.”’] By this time it seems that the use of book- plates should be known even to the general public, and as this brief article is intended for lovers of bookplates and those who already have at least some knowledge of the subject, there is no intention of making an essay to explain when, how, why, and where they were or are used. A collector who appreciates art as well as the pleasure of collect- ing, will, I am sure, find an unusual and infinite amount of fascination in bookplates. They may be roughly divided into several species—name labels and armorial plates, to which must be added a third, for during the present age allegorical plates (as well as those ornamented in diverse ways) have come into popularity. Well-composed and artistic bookplates, however, although frequently ~ mentioned, are seldom found. The word “bookplate,” however, is itself not happily selected, and this somewhat awkward name is replaced by ex libris on the Continent. The latter expression seems far more suitable than the former somewhat misleading term. Although their exist- ence can be traced into the fifteenth century, our ances- tors of degrees more re- mote than grandfathers do not appear to have referred to bookplates at all, so it has been impossible to determine by what name they would have called them. So in reality the term Jdookplate is \\' ») AND : Gs) zy \ Vie | \H b | | \ \ \ # j i e a Mh wif qt j/ Mant Miah No. I.—GEORGE WASHINGTON’S BOOKPLATE 137 By Clifford N. Carver but a century old, and the desire to collect them is still more modern. Of late years the interest in bookplate-collecting has tended rather towards the owner of the plate than towards the plate itself, and the majority of collec- tions have been made with this point in view. A reasonable and logical argument can, however, be presented for this, in that by far the greatest number of bookplates of special interest and value are those made for men of mark — that is to say, for those individuals whose names are associated with the great achievements of life, in one form or another. In writing this particular article I have chosen a few examples taken from my own collection of American bookplates, and I have endeavoured to choose those which I believe will be of the most general interest to the general reader. Many of the older American specimens that might well have been included in these pages have been omitted, firstly, because the article is itself but a very brief one, and, secondly, be- cause in most cases they have already become well known to collectors and those interested in the subject through the various excellent writings on American book- plates., Among the early American plates, that of George Wash- ington is perhaps of paramount interest to Americans, as it 1S said that the idea of the American flag was itself con- ceived from the Washington arms which appear on the plate. Unfortunately no date can be found on this plate, and it is still a matter of which no record can be found j is

Page 18

The Connotsseur as to whether it was engraved in America or in As an author, the president’s //is/ory of the American England. People is his greatest production. It appeared in The ex “brvis of George Bancroft, the historian 1902, and was written, as he said, to clear up his and diplomatist, represents a cherub bearing a scroll, upon which is the Greek motto— EIY PAOD Below the cherub appears the owner’s signature, a custom quite prevalent with older plates. Henry Ward Beecher, whose activities on behalf of the abolition of slavery in America gave him great prominence, used a plain plate with his signature and address simply engraved thereon— differing but little from the visiting-card of to-day. The charming book-mark used by Oliver Wendell Holmes well deserves a promi- nent place as being one of the most artistic as well as inter- esting plates in any collection of American ex horis. A beautiful representation of the Chambered Nautilus —‘‘ The Ship of Pearl,” as he calls it —is the feature of the plate, of which the original is exceed- ingly well engraved. President Wilson has chosen a plate of remarkable simplicity. Amid a shelf-ful a5 ‘own ideas on American his- S tory. Zhe State and Consti- ‘tutional Government soon followed, and gave him an acknowledged position of importance among the inter- preters of our constitution. The plate used by ex- President Taft was both de- signed and engraved by Frederick Spenceley, one of America’s most prominent engravers of ex “iéris. In the plate is shown a splendid reproduction of Mr. Taft’s family home, the seal of the government, the balances of justice, a volume of law, and the seal of his university— Yale. To quote Mr. Taft: “The house is that of my grandfather, Samuel D. Tor- rey, at Millbury, Mass., and is now owned and occupied by my aunt, Miss Delia Tor- rey. It is where I spent the summers of my boyhood and my college vacations.” Cot once But little can be said @ regarding the plate of ex- J President Roosevelt ; it is the No. II.—THE BOOKPLATE OF GEORGE simple—and not particularly eR R55 i eRe well engraved—heraldic plate of books we find his signature upon a scroll, and there which one finds in profusion in the shops of all modern is something very businesslike and to the point about stationers. the inscription which is found there as well. Not know- The author of such memorable stories as Zhe Story ing any quotation which exactly filled his desire for this of the Other Wise Man and Fisherman’s Luck, Dr. ’ , 82Columbis St. BROOKLYN. VY. No. III.—THE BOOKPLATE OF HENRY WARD BEECHER use, the president has placed there some lines of his own Henry van Dyke, has one of the most beautiful, I conception :— might say one of the very few beautiful, allegorical ‘*Counsel and Light, S uasietey sud Velie. plates. Fortunately, allegory had not become popular And Strength and Life and Pleasure withal.” in the bookplate field until something really artistic

Page 19

Some American Bookplates figure is seen seated beside a river bank, reading, and with patience holding a rod.” Dr. van Dyke wy ( Oe Masti tf f A? leer rite. Flores No. V.—THE LATE J. PIERPONT MORGAN’S BOOKPLATE has become prominent and influential in literature, in the Church, and as a lecturer of international in this style was produced within comparatively re- repute. In June, 1913, he was appointed American cent years. Dr. van Dyke, being a lover of fishing Minister to the Hague. No. IV.—OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES’S BOOKPLATE “* . ; | atlas 1; —GR {= > *5{! TE xcedebris: : RY ee , Counsel and Light nowledge with Vision And Strength and Life and Pleasure withal ba ons Ps =a < é eS LS oe get TANS pene aoe, Ses: = Gy BISBAL GES eee. ES TE eA Ss ta 4 « % 8 B Lt em k Mi 2 Pe Fae OS No. VI.—THE BOOKPLATE OF PRESIDENT WILSON and a great reader, has represented upon his book- Known as the greatest giver of public libraries in plate in a decidedly allegorical form his two favourite the world, Andrew Carnegie has chosen a simple but nT wre ao yn eh iS Bb ¥ No. VII.—THE BOOKPLATE OF EX-PRESIDENT TAFT occupations. ‘Although they are seldom chrono- attractive ex /ibvis for use in his personal library. logically combined,” says Dr. van Dyke, ‘“‘a nude Mr. Carnegie once told me that the architect of the 139

Page 20

The Connoisseur wea Theodore Ravgerelt. DREW CARNEGIE No. VIII.—THEODORE ROOSEVELT’S BOOKPLATE No. IX.—ANDREW CARNEGIE’S BOOKPLATE Dunfermline Library, which he gave to his native the words, ‘‘ Let there be light”; and this feature is town, and which was the first library he ever gave, the basis for the design of his own ex “dris. asked him for his coat of arms to be placed over the An armorial plate was the one chiefly used by the doorway. Mr. Carnegie replied that he had none, late Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan in his great library, and but suggested a rising sun, its rays spreading, with in its severity and its execution it is very artistic. Vid Wie he ER ET L CF Mb = sf # “4 ' 4 EX:LIBRIS- HENRY VAN DYKE: = — No. X.—DR. HENRY VAN DYKE’S BOOKPLATE 140

Page 21

To those whose acquaintance with fans is limited to the exquisitely painted specimens of chicken-skin, with mounts of finely worked tortoise- shell or ivory, enriched very often with gold, which sum up the achievements of the fan-makers of eighteenth-century France, the fans of which I write may seem dull and plain; to others who know the treasures of artistry which are to be found among the fans of the Far East, they may well seem trivial ; but, all the same, they are exceedingly interesting in their way, and well repay study on account of the sidelights they throw on many points of our social, political, and theatrical history. For these fans are, above all, popular fans. ‘They were made for a day, a week, or a season, or perhaps as souvenirs of a Some Old English Printed Paper Fans By Maciver Percival A) yw special event ; but they were essentially ephemeral, and are to their finer contemporaries what paste is to diamonds, what pinchbeck is to gold. In many cases this only heightens their interest, because, being inexpensive trifles, they often reflect the whims of a passing hour, and record fashions which hardly out- lived the day they were born. The folding fan was introduced into Europe from the East about the beginning of the sixteenth century. To most people it is the typical fan par excellence, but it is, comparatively speaking, a new- comer, its predecessor of the plumed screen type continuing popular till well into the seventeenth century. Printed fan-leaves were early issued, but the greater number of those now surviving date from No. I.—THEATRICAL FAN ROMEO AND JULIET I4I PUBLISHED BY GAMBLE, 1742

Page 22

The Connotsseur the eighteenth century. They were immensely popu- lar, as they had many advantages over their more They made it possible to be elaborate brethren. in her collection, and probably at least a thousand different sorts must have been issued. A very interesting -feature of many of the fans is , No. II.—ETCHED FAN-LEAF quite up-to-date at very small expense. A new fan- leaf hot from the press was easily mounted, and its decoration, bearing on some popular subject, beguiled a dull moment or formed a topic of conversation. Then, too, they were decidedly cheap, two shillings being a very general price for the unmounted leaf, so that it was easy to change as often as desired. The variety was enormous. There were classical subjects, biblical subjects, theatrical scenes, moral fans—zm- moral fans too, I am sorry to say. The most celebrated collection of these printed No. III.—ETCHED AND HAND-COLOURED LEAF COLOURED BY HAND +1 IVORY STICKS, MOTHER-O’-PEARL BUTTON that they bear the date of their issue and the name of their publisher, in accordance with the regulations of the Act of 1735. The fact that some of them are undated, in spite of this law, may very likely be due to the fact that these details were generally printed on the lower part of the mount, and were easily cut off in fitting the leaf to the sticks. The date, where it exists, is doubly interesting, as it enables us not only to fix the period of the actual fan on which it is inscribed, but also is a guide to others of similar character. Take the fans Nos. i. IVORY MOUNT WITH MOTHER-O’-PEARL ORNAMENT ON GUARDS fans is, of course, that which belonged to the late Lady Charlotte Schreiber. It contains several hundred English printed fans and unmounted fan-leaves, but so great was the variety of these trifles that it is quite easy to find other prints which are not included 142 and ii., for example. No. i. only is dated, but the similarity of paper, etc., makes it almost certain that they were both issued by the same publisher at about the same time. The inscription on No. i. reads: ‘*M. Gamble, according to the Act. Aug. 24, 1742.”

Page 23

Some Old English Printed Paper Fans No. IV.—FAN The scene has been identified as being from ‘‘ Romeo and Juliet,” the figures on the left being Juliet and the Nurse, Romeo and the Friar occupying the right-hand side. The outline and shading are etched, and the whole is very roughly hand-coloured, with touches of gold here and there. The sticks are of ivory, and it seems strange that such a very rough-and-ready treat- ment as to colour should be considered good enough, TOMMY OSBORNE’S DUCK-HUNTING, 1754 but nearly all these etched leaves are tinted in the same perfunctory way. The painting was added by girls, each of whom put in one colour. They sat round a table, and passed the work on from hand to hand. The sticks of No. 11. are very quaint. The guards resemble a sea-monster or fish, with the eye formed by the rivet; and evidently the subject of the play, from which a scene is represented, is of a nautical No. V.—A LATE SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY PRINTED FAN OF CONTINENTAL ORIGIN

Page 24

The Connoisseur No. VI.—‘‘ THE NEW DANCE FAN,” 1797 character, as instead of the usual flowers the figures are surrounded with water-fowl. Probably a little earlier is No. i. At first sight this appears to be a Chinese fan, but a closer examination proves that that is not the case. The paper is English, and the design, though evidently based on an Oriental model, has not assimilated the true character of the original. It is roughly hand- coloured in tints of yellow and brown, and the general effect is quite good. At about this time imi- tations of all kinds of Chinese decorative art were fashionable. Ladies amused themselves with copy- ing lacquer-ware, while architects and cabinet-makers were busy with designs which, if not really Chinese, were as near it as they could evolve out of their inner consciousness, and from European kilns issued _ pro- ducts which resembled the precious porcelains of the Celestial Empire. Some of the Chinese-style English printed fans are coloured in a far daintier way than the majority of the theatrical fans. 3 The greater number of these fans appear to have been published by Gamble at the sign of the Golden Fan, about the middle of the eighteenth century. He was a great believer in the advantages of publicity, and constantly advertised in the Craftsman. They had such a vogue that they were used to commemorate events both political and domestic. Of the latter, the fan which has handed down to posterity the memory of J/r. Thomas Osborne's Duck Hunting (1754) (No. iv.) gives, in conjunction with the manuscript account preserved with it, an intimate 144 picture of a certain phase of eighteenth-century society. The fan is of the ordinary type—an etched leaf coloured by hand, and mounted on wooden sticks. Of the circumstances under which it was issued the following amusing account is given by a daughter of the original owner :— ‘‘Mr. Thomas Osborne, or, as he was more com- monly called, Tommy Osborne, was a very considerable bookseller and publisher in Gray’s Inn, Holborn. He bought the Harleian collection of printed books, and published a sale catalogue. Dr. Samuel Johnson has been said to be the compiler of this catalogue. In 1754 he had a house at Hampstead, which was then a watering-place. A Captain Pratten constituted himself Master of the Ceremonies at the Assembly Rooms. Amongst the fixed residents was Mr. Scarlet, a celebrated optician. Captain Pratten was more particular in his attentions to Mrs. Scarlet than to any other lady, and was her inseparable companion in her walks and visits. As Mrs. Scarlet was remark- ably plain in her person, the voice of scandal declared that this attention was repaid by the use of her purse. When Mr. Osborne settled himself in his new house, Captain Pratten proposed to him that he should ingratiate himself with the families of Hampstead by giving a public breakfast for the ladies, and a duck- hunting for the gentlemen. ‘Tommy Osborne, though very successful in busi- ness, was not esteemed very acute in private, and fell into the scheme, and left the whole management to Captain Pratten. Invitations were sent to all the

Page 25

LA ROSE " CONNOISSEVR (a ehernerse Pom couscrons BY P. L. DEBUCOURT Pinx et Sculp., 1788

Page 26

% at res take a Le od Sie in 2.

Page 27

Some Old English Printed Paper Fans No. VII.—CONVERSATION FAN, FOR COMMUNICATING SECRETLY WITH FRIENDS BY PREARRANGED SIGNALS genteel familses in the place, and marquees erected for the breakfast, and ducks were provided for the hunting. The company assembled, and were so happy that they were loath to depart. Captain Pratten was everywhere, and, finding things went so merrily, suggested to Mr. Osborne that he had better continue the entertainment with a cold collation. Still the company lingered, and Captain Pratten and Mrs. Scarlet circulated in whispers that if they stayed they would have a dance to conclude the day. The company took the hint, smiling at their host’s vanity and expense. The long dancing tent was put up in the courtyard, and the younger part of the company tripped the light fantastic toe till bedtime. To pro- long the memory of this day of enjoyment, Captain Pratten further persuaded Mr. Gamble to have a fan engraved and presented to each of his lady visitors.” Poor Tommy Osborne! One feels sorry for his simplicity. Even on the commemorative fan to celebrate his duck-hunting it is not 7s figure that appears in the foreground, but that of the redoubt- able Captain Pratten, accompanied by Mrs. Scarlet and her daughter. Other very interesting fans are those which record the arrangement of the boxes and seats at the opera. These plans must have been very convenient, not only 147 for the “somebodies” who wished to know where to look for their friends, but to the ‘‘nobodies” and country cousins, who were thus enabled to identify the brilliant figures in the audience, which they often found more interesting than the performance on the stage. For those who were ignorant of the figures of the dances then in vogue, the fans, with full directions printed on them, must have been quite a godsend, and similar fan-leaves, with the rules of whist and other games, must have been most convenient to card-players who were either unskilled or cursed with a bad memory. Many of these late eighteenth-century fans make no pretence to artistic interest; they simply form a convenient way of carrying information, or of afford- ing an hour’s amusement, such as the fortune-telling fans and those printed with various popular ballads. During the early nineteenth century printed fans were not much used, but during the forties and fifties numer- ous lithographed fan-leaves were issued, coloured in imitation of valuable hand-painted French originals. These are of very little interest, and one would hardly think would deceive anyone; but I know of one or two which have been bought as ‘‘ genuine antiques,” the mounts being quite colourable imitations of the genuine thing. ©

Page 28

GAUUUUUUMMEMttH UK CH CUTLER CEU! AG Saxon Art* DuRInG the last half-century something less than justice has been done to the esthetic gifts of our Anglo-Saxon forefathers. Matthew Arnold, in his efforts to secure the due recognition of ancient Celtic literature, started an avalanche of pro-Celtic criticism which has threatened to entirely submerge the evi- dences of ancient Saxon culture. The achievements of the English in art, hterature, music, or architecture have been so regularly set down as originating through the admixture of the Celtic and foreign elements which have enriched the blood of the race, that one had begun to despair of the possibility of a pure- bred Saxon achieving anything which required other qualities than brute-force or obstinacy. No modern writer will be disposed to deny either the high artistic gifts of the Celts, or that the mixture of Saxon and Celtic blood tends to produce a race wider in its sympathies and more susceptible to high culture than either of the original stocks ; but due credit should be given to the Saxon for his share in this consumma- tion. That the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, who con- quered three parts of Great Britain, were not mere barbarians, is a fact with which most students of archeology were already acquainted, but it will prob- ably.surprise many to find how richly these invaders were endowed with artistic gifts. Convincing evi- dence of the quality and extent of their talents is afforded in Professor Baldwin Brown’s monumental work on Zhe Arts in Early England, two fresh volumes of which are now issued. ‘The two earlier volumes, published in 1903, dealt with Anglo-Saxon architecture from the sixth century until the Nor- man Conquest, and its relation to the general life of the people in the Middle Ages. The present volumes are concerned with the weapons, household utensils, ornaments, and burying-places of the Saxons in pagan times—roughly speaking, from the middle of the fifth until the middle of the seventh century. To obtain the data necessary to determine the origins of Saxon art as exemplified in England, Pro- fessor Brown has been compelled to extend his in- vestigations over nearly half the area of continental \ xs ri A eas, PAE Zits ey til conclusive on the latter point; 148 > AAC Mir el 3 <5“ 7 B imoim Uf <a Cc rit eves Europe. Inthe English examples there are abundant traces of Frankish, Roman, and Celtic inspiration; but the two last influences emanated from the Continent, and pagan Saxon art appears practically unaffected by the comparatively high Romano-British civilisa- tion already existing in this country. This is the more surprising as the corresponding Teutonic con- quest of Gaul resulted in the invaders adopting the civilisation of the conquered and becoming practically Latinised, Professor Brown does not attempt to account for the discrepancy, or for what appears to have been the entire disappearance of the old British population from the east and central districts of England. The evidence of the Saxon cemeteries is the remains of the people buried there are all of Teutonic type, and, with the exception of a few isolated Roman or Celtic objects, the articles found in the graves are wholly Anglo-Saxon. Later on, when the paganism of the invaders gave way to Christianity, “the relations between the Germanic art of the immigrants and the late-Celtic art of the indigenous inhabitants of the western and northern part of the British Isles became very intimate and complex,” but this period Professor Brown reserves for discussion in a final volume. Like the arts of ancient Greece and Japan, “Ger- manic art as a whole is not an absolutely original product, but at the same time the non-Teutonic elements were so modified by the racial genius that they took ona Germanic character, and the resulting art stands out as a distinct esthetic entity.” In the wide area where it flourished ‘‘there are distinct artistic provinces in which the common forms and motives are worked out into products, each of which has its local cachet. One of these provinces is Anglo-Saxon England, and here we find as much that is original as appears in any other province, Gothic, Frankish, The Arts in Early England, by Professor G. Baldwin Brown, M.A. Vols. III. and IV.: ‘‘Saxon Art and Industry in the Pagan Period.” (John Murray. 2us. each. net.)

Page 29

ante TIT PR SILVER BROOCH FROM BIFRONS Enlarged to one-third more than natural size. ‘The piece is a very instructive one in connection with the after-history of animal ornamen- tation, the characteristic style of which appears in an intermediate stage of development. It may be noted that the brooch has been cast in three pieces, the head and foot rivetted on to the foot of the bow.” FROM ‘‘THE ARTS IN EARLY ENGLAND” (JOHN MURRAY) 149

Page 30

eee DECORATED QUOIT BROOCHES No. 1 ‘‘ measures 37 in. in diameter, and is of silver parcel gilt, with cast ornaments added in the form of birds. The plaque is ornamented in a technique that may be partly punched and partly incised work, but is more probably only the former.” Found at Sarre, Kent. Nos. 2 and 3, of silver, found at Alfriston, Sussex. No. 2, 18 in. in diameter, ‘‘ is of especial value, owing to the occurrence in its traced enrichment of a floral pattern that is, in Teutonic work, of extreme rarity.” Nos, I, 2, and 3 enlarged by about one-halt. FROM ‘* THE ARTS IN EARLY ENGLAND” (JOHN MURRAY)

Page 31

COLLECTION OF BROOCHES Discovered at Szilagy Somlyo, 1889. Consisting for the most part of very handsome silver- gilt or golden brooches set with garnets. The forms of the brooches, apart from their sumptuousness of enrichment, are of much interest. It must be noted that over and above the garnets, set flat or e cabochon, there are occasionally used as inlays coloured glass pastes, and in the case of one pair, enamel. There are also early forms of animal ornament. Slightly under one-quarter natural size. FROM ‘‘ THE ARTS IN EARLY ENGLAND” (JOHN MURRAY) I51

Page 32

The or Alamannic.” It is curious that this Anglo-Saxon art exhibits many of the qualities and weaknesses which distinguish English artistic craftsmanship of to-day. Compared with Celtic art, it shows weak- nesses in the mastery of the principles of design, more especially of those pertaining to line and form. On the other hand, it often shows great beauty of detail, while its technical excellence ‘‘ confers on it an unquestioned patent of distinction.” In dealing with the immense wealth of material at his disposal, Professor Brown has adopted a duplicate arrangement, first giving a detailed description of the individual antiquities, grouped according to their classes, and then grouping them geographically ac- cording to the districts in which they were discovered. This portion of the work, which is well illustrated with maps, throws much valuable light on the early settlements of the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, and their migrations into the interior of the country. To the general reader, however, this excursion into political history, though necessary to the scheme of the book, will prove less interesting than the earlier section, which is naturally by far the more lengthy. This opens with a chapter on Anglo-Saxon coinage, the artistry of which was of no mean order. The earlier pieces, known as ‘‘sceattas,” display, accord- ing to competent authorities, a rich variety of design, such as few coinages of the world can show, and the design of later pieces, such as Offa’s pennies, ‘‘ have always been celebrated for their. artistic excellence, which is far greater than that displayed by any other Western series for some centuries.” A close connec- tion between England and the Netherlands is re- vealed by the frequent discovery of the earlier pieces in both countries, but that the great majority of them were coined in England is shown by their inscriptions, and by the fact that while they have come to light in all parts of England, they are to be found in Holland only in the neighbourhood of the ancient trading towns. Arms, of course, naturally were an important feature of the Saxon equipment, but these, during the pagan period, lent themselves to decoration to a smaller extent than might have been imagined. The Saxons apparently had not then adopted either helmets or armour, only a small piece of iron chainwork and a single helmet having so far been discovered among early Saxon antiquities in Eng- land. Shields probably were in general use, but for the rank and file may have been made with perish- able materials, which have wholly decayed away. In the cemeteries “the presence of the shield is only attested by the metal mounts, which have survived, 152 Connoisseur while the wooden orb of the buckler has passed out of existence.” Spears, it is conjectured, were more commonly used than swords; many types of both weapons have been recovered, as well as battle-axes, but traces of bows and arrows, though it was known they were in use, have been found only very rarely. Among the most common objects found in tombs, as well as the most beautiful, is the brooch, or, as Professor Baldwin Brown prefers to call it, the fibula. The brooch came into use much earlier than either the clasp or buckle, but was only very partially super- seded by the latter. It was fashioned in innumerable forms, some of which were highly elaborate, and showed remarkable skill on the part of the makers, who, apparently, had nearly as many technical de- vices at their command as the modern hand-worker. Their designs for ornamentation were largely ‘‘ based on animal forms occurring in Roman art,” which, “‘at first copied by the Germanic craftsman in more or less naturalistic fashion,” gradually became conven- tionalised, until ultimately they were broken up into “congeries of curious shapes, the resemblance of which to parts of living creatures is hard to discern.” This treatment, which resulted in the production of many beautiful and highly decorative patternings, is peculiarly Teutonic. Professor Brown describes and illustrates some hundreds of examples, and treats other classes of articles with the same exemplary thoroughness. These include such varied objects as buckles, clasps, pins, diadems ; adjuncts of the costume and toilet, such as combs, shears, tweezers, and girdle hangers—an anticipation of the modern chatelaine, from which were suspended keys, spoons, crystal balls, workboxes, purses, and perhaps charms —necklaces and rings; bronze, glass, and pottery bowls and vases; and a number of minor articles, the purport of some of which can hardly be decided. Though Professor Brown’s is by no means the first work on the subject, it is the first which has attempted a systemized and exhaustive treatment of it, and must rank as the most thorough, painstaking, and comprehensive survey of Anglo-Saxon antiquities that has yet been given us. A monument of wide research and erudition, it appeals equally to readers interested in early art or history. In some minor details—notably in the overcrowding of the subjects illustrated in the plates and the author’s occasional use of Latin terms when English ones might be advantageously substituted—it is susceptible to im- provement, but despite these little blemishes, it will probably remain the best standard work on Saxon art and archeology for many years to come.

Page 33

| Zhe Editor invites the assistance of readers of THE CONNOISSEUR who may be able to impart the information reguired by Correspondents. | UNIDENTIFIED PAINTING (No. 207). DEAR S1r,—I believe this work to be a genuine example by George Morland, but have some difficulty in proving, although I have known it for fifty years, and it was originally the property of a wine merchant, whose stores Morland doubtless passed when on his flights, to the Isle of Wight. I have seen most of Morland’s best works, but this picture has never been exhibited to my knowledge, though it was engraved by J. Grozer, under the title of Zhe Happy Cottagers. I should be grateful to any reader who could tell me if they have ever seen or should happen to know where the original is (supposing that this should not prove to be the original). The size of the painting is about 2 ft. 1 in. by 1 ft. 8 in. Yours faithfully, W. BuRRouGH HILL. UNIDENTIFIED PAINTING (No. 208). DrEAR SirR,—I send you a photograph of an old oil painting in my possession, and shall be glad if any of your readers can tell me the names of the painter and of the young nobleman it represents. The name of the subject is painted in small letters on the picture, but all that can now be seen are the (207) UNIDENTIFIED PAINTING 153

Page 34

words, ‘‘The Lon . om The name, being on the darker paint, cannot be seen, but l think the first letter is ‘“ W.” The canvas measures 301n. by 254 in. Yours truly, E. LIONEL REYNOLDS. SIGNATURE ON UNIDENTIFIED PAINTING (No. 199). DEAR SIR, — Would you be kind enough to give the enclosed signa- ture, am ae stands, an in- sertion in your CONNOISSEUR for March. lhe Connoisseur enquires for de- tails of history. Albert Cuyp was born at Dort in 1606, and receivedall his instruction from hiseather, though his manner was quite different, being much neater. The father adhered to one or two species of animals, but to Albert ani- mals, fruit, landscape, ships, etc., were all equally familiar. He excelled in everything he attempted, and painted every object in the same free and natural man- ner. He was ; (208) UNIDENTIFIED PAINTING ; The insertion best in winter of signature in the January number has been spoiled ; pieces. His studies were entirely after nature, and the lines are not straight, and other parts badly most of his landscapes were sketched from scenery haggled. in or about Dort. He left a number of drawings Yours very truly, JoHN McHarrir. and designs heightened with water-colours, which, together with his etchings, are much valued as curios, UNIDENTIFIED PAINTINGS (NOs. 201 AND 202), He died at Dort in 1667. JANUARY, 1916. Trusting this information, which is from a Dictionary Dear Srtr,—Your correspondent, Arthur Johnson, of Painters, will be of some help to enquirer. has unidentified paintings (Nos. 201 and 202), and I remain, yours truly, R. Dawson. SIGNATURE ON UNIDENTIFIED PAINTING, NO. I99

Page 35

[Photo Mansell PORTRAIT OF A GIRL BY ROSALBA CARRIERA At the Louvre

Page 36

aig “ By

Page 37

THE Roman candlestick illustrated was dug up near Cambridge a year or two ago. I have made enquiries at London (British Museum), Paris, Berlin, and Vienna, and in reply they all say that they have nothing like it in their collections. Perhaps one of your many readers can supply further information regarding it. A Roman Candlestick Inrportant Dickens and Handel MSS. at the British Museum WHEN recording the result of the Red Cross sale held at Messrs. Christie, Manson and Woods’ in April last, we referred to Lady Wernher’s purchase of five pages of the original MS. of Dickens’s Pickwick Papers, and men- tioned the probability that her ladyship intended to present them to the nation. We now learn with great pleasure that this important relic is to be housed in the British Mu- seum, which already pos- sesses another page, describ- ing the Bath footmen’s “swarry.” The new MS. con- sists of five pages from chapter 19 ROMAN CANDLESTICK, DUG 157 N LIC of the Pickwick Fapers. endorsed, ‘‘ Part of Mr. Charles Dickens’s original manuscript of the /2ckwick Papers,” in the hand- writing of the author’s father. Presented to the Red Cross sale by Mrs. Frank Gielgud, this docu- ment was secured by Lady Wernher for £450. The British Museum col- lection of Handel MSS. has been enriched by a series of scores, contained in thirty- seven volumes, which was formerly the property of the composer’s friend, Bernard Granville. It includes a number of operas, oratorios, etc., some of them showing interesting variations from published editions, and there is also a cantata, composed at Rome during the early years of the eighteenth century, which appears to be unprinted. The outside wrapper is The Lady with a Lute CONFUCIUS is said to have looked upon music “as an essential part of the govern- ment of the state, harmoni- sing and soften- ing relations between dif- ferent ranks of society and causing them NEAR CAMBRIDGE UP

Page 38

The to move in ac- ested.) Fae gong and trum- pet are chiefly used inthe Chinese Army, and there are seventeen differ- ent kinds of drums, begin- ning with the large ones sus- pended in tem- ples to assist worship. Gongs, clappers, cym- bals, tambour- ines,and musical vases are some- times found painted or en- amelled on por- celain. The water vases or cups are filled’ more or less with water, and, when struck, emit different musical notes. Representations of lutes and other stringed instru- ments are rare ; as they are played by thrumming with a plectrum or the fingers, they require more science than those of percussion. The 42m, or scholar’s lute, is the most elaborate, and the lady on the finely enamelled Chinese plate (illustrated) is playing on one. It is one of the oldest of all musical instruments, deriving xX LUTE PARTLY UNWRAPPED TAKEN FROM ‘SOLD its name from the word 42x, “‘to prohibit,” because it restrains and checks evil passions and corrects the human heart. According to Gulland, ‘‘It is a board about 4 feet in length and 18 inches wide, convex above and flat beneath, where two holes open into hollows. There are seven strings of silk, which pass over a bridge near the wide end through the board, and are tightened by nuts beneath; they are secured CHINESE ENAMELLED PLATE, WITH LADY PLAYING LUTE Connoisseur on two pegs at the smaller end.” The invention of this instrument is ascribed to the emperor Shén Nung. The lute is used as an emblem of matri- mony or har- mony between friends, or in official life. It is sometimes shownencased in a brocade cover. Antique Crucifix OLD crucifixes inlaid with mother - o’-pearl, such as the one illustrated, have been sought for by collectors of art objects in Italy for many years. They are supposed to be of East- ern workmanship, and to have been brought home by pilgrims from the Holy Land. The one illustrated, 15 inches in height, was acquired at Naples. The de- sign, including the figure of Christ, is engraved or cut in the pearl, and filled in with black ink or pigment. The inscription, probably of metal, like the skull and cross-bones below, is missing. Down the right edge of the cross are etched on pearl the seamless coat, LUTE WRAPPED IN BROCADE COVER CHINESE PORCELAIN ” the dice, a chalice, and a pair of pliers; on the left, a man’s hand, a hammer, and the head and shoulders of a Roman soldier. The base, upon which a kneel- ing monk is engraved on a medallion, is surrounded by a rich floral design. It is of wood, and was prob- ably fashioned to hold a relic, perhaps an alleged portion of the true cross. There are zigzag marks on the side, suggestive of a secret opening or slide.

Page 39

Notes Some further Curious Discoveries THE true antiquary al- ways delights in preserving records of curious discov- erles. The following résumé may be regarded as supple- mental to such notices of a similar character as have appeared previously in these pages. Lack of space alone prevents us from including many other ac- counts of equalimportance. One of the most romantic finds of the year was un- doubtedly that which oc- curred at Oakley, Fifeshire, It became neces- sary to remove a plank from the platform of the railway station which had been in position for about fifteen years, when a sword, two feet in length, witha short cross-bar for a hilt, was discovered in the wood. During the early part of 1912 the Great Barrow, on Mersea Island, was opened and found to contain a square box of lead, devoid of ornamentation. Inside the box was a fine example of a Roman globular glass vase, of irregular shape, the neck surrounded by a broad, flat lip, which held human remains. This remarkable group, which dates from the first century a.p., is now housed in the Castle Museum, Colchester. At the beginning of 1913 the same museum was enriched by a large Roman vase, found at Heybridge, and, in October of the same year, by a rare specimen of a cinerary urn of the late Bronze Age, which was brought to light at Mistley, near Manningtree. The urn is of a coarse, reddish-brown ware, with a broad over- hanging rim, which has been decorated with an ar- rangement of vertical and horizontal lines, made by pressing a piece of twisted cord into the wet clay. When found, the urn was placed mouth-downwards over calcined remains. Fonts disappeared occasion- ally from the churches in which they were placed, in IgII. INLAID CRUCIFIX, FROM NAPLES T59 either because they got into bad repair, or because a new piece was installed in their place. We ourselves assisted in the discovery of the middle section, or pil- lar, of a font ornamented with perpendicular arches, which lay with other lumps of stone in a yard not far removed from the church of St. James at Colchester. An early octagonal font was removed from the ruined church of St. John the Baptist at Stow, Lincolnshire, in 1779, but, after undergoing various degradations, was happily presented to the parish church at Barholme in 1912. Another early speci- men was discovered in the garden of St. Andrew’s parsonage at Norwich in 1913. Another Norfolk discovery of the same year took the form of a fine bronze hanging lamp of Roman manufacture, which was fashioned like a dolphin, with mouth open to receive the wick ; this relic was found near Thet- ford. A curious instance of money associated with a burial occurred in St. Peter’s Lane, Leicester, on October 16th, 1913, when a lidless coffin, con- taining human remains anda silver coin of Edward L., was dug up. Tuis elegant, clear glass stoup for holy water, well used, its bowl being encrusted with a sediment betray- ing the limestone qualities of the local source of supply, came from Naples, some twenty years ago. But the quality of the glass itself suggests Venice as the scene of its origin. With the exception of a single ved thread running through the central twisted portion of the design, which looks like a glass cord, there is no colour about it. In the British Museum there are two specimens of old glass water stoups closely resembling Glass Stoup

Page 40

The Connoisseur this one, the difference being in the coloured thread, which is blue in the national examples. Louis PHILIBERT DEBUCOURT, besides being an artist of note, also allowed him- self to take part with some vigour in the political upheavals which marked theclose of the eighteenth century in French history. His loyalty to any party does not appear to have been marked by great depth of feeling, however, and the ortho- Our Plates graphy of his name changed in accordance with his views. Thus, in the Royalist epoch he called himself De Bucourt, whilst under the Revolutionary government he became Debucourt. The pair of engravings from his hand which we present in this issue are beauti- ful examples, Za Main especially possessing aremarkable depthand luminosity in the treatment. The Portrait of a Girl, by Rosalba Carriera, hangs in the Louvre, and isa charming work in pastel. The artist was a Venetian by birth, but visited Paris in 1720-21, where she was immediately taken up by the nobility. Another interesting portrait, that of JZadame de Pom- padour, by Latour, hangs at Versailles. Even here we are able to note some vestige of the cruel nature of the woman. The set and somewhat imperious expression may convey the impression, or it may be partly attributable to a psychological sensation which affected the artist’s flattering brush. A “Dock Forgery” at the Birmingham Art Gallery Ir is interesting to note that a forged “‘pilgrim’s badge” has been presented to the Birmingham Art Gallery by Mr. William Pearce. It appears to be of the type sometimes designated ‘‘ Dock Forgery,” which made its appearance about half a century ago in GLASS STOUP, FOR HOLY WATER the Shadwell district. According to some accounts, these objects were first made by a foreigner, who often managed to infuse a most remarkable archaic appear- ance into his designs. Fortu- nately for antiquarians, he does not appear to have possessed any great technical knowledge, since some of the “‘badges” bear repre- sentations of warriors in armour of a perfectly impossible nature. Itis also said that the inscriptions occasionally include a date fol- lowed bythe letters “‘B.c.”! Some typical specimens of these pecu- liar pieces have been added to the London Museum, as being of interest in connection with the modern history of the metropolis. It may be said that the Dock For- geries no longer occupy any posi- tion as deceptive pieces, their reputation being quite exploded, so far as collectors are concerned. THE pursuitof a military career need not necessarily divorce an archeolo- War Discoveries gist entirely from his science. Trench- digging, for instance, has proved to be the means of bringing to light relics whose very existence was un- suspected, and might have remained so, had it not been for the exigencies of war. The allied troops in the East sometimes make discoveries of great interest. It is common knowledge that Greek amphorz have been dug up in Salonica, whilst the discoyery of a mutilated statue of Eros at Palzopolis by French soldiers at Lemnos has been reported in the press. Hoards of coins have been found in France, and the enemy have taken advantage of one of their positions to remove the contents from Celtic graves to the Berlin Museum. ‘These include some fine polished black pottery, iron spear-heads, bronze armlets, neck- lets, and other kinds of jewellery. 160

Page 41

ey uillo tempore? Crm = colossal and splendid palaces they caused to be erected, the imposing pieces of sculpture put up in their honour, and the acres of canvas painted for their delectation, but also by the works of the myriads of accomplished crafts- BY J. J. CAFFIERI (HERBERT JENKINS, LTD.) men in all branches of industrial art with which they,en- dowed France. As M. Claud Saint- Andre explains in his interesting life of Madame Du Barry: ‘‘A whole world of great art- ists came into being through the work distributed by the little hands of the queens, the royal mistresses, and the great ladies of Paris and Versailles; and behind the bright constellations of masters shone the more modest lights of numbers of craftsmen, children of that vital French spirit which needs no more than hap- py environment to call forth its genius. With architects, sculptors, and painters worked goldsmiths, jewel- lers, cabinet - mak- ers, decorators, all who finished and perfected the dwel- ling of woman, the harmonious setting

Page 42

The Connoisseur of her precious beauty.” His descriptions of the apart- ments at Versailles of the last favourite of Louis XV., and of the villa which she erected on the little estate at Louveciennes which the king gave her, enforce this view ; for Madame Du Barry possessed good taste, an unlimited command of money, and had at her beck and call all the best artists and craftsmen of her day. M. Saint-Andre gives her the credit of being able not only to design her own dresses, which were so successful that they set the fashions for Europe, but also of taking an active part in the design of some of her finest pieces of furniture—pieces which were so perfect in their way that even the least im- portant of them would be considered a treasure suitable for inclusion in a great national collection. The author also credits her with literary tastes ; but in this one fancies that he is building on less sure foundations. Did not her large library, which he mentions, largely consist of odd volumes and remainders, purchased without thought of their contents and set up in sumptuous bindings to com- plete the furnishing of her apartments? However this may be, one must feel grateful to M. Saint-Andre for giv- ing us a new and more pleasing conception of the last of the uncrowned queens of France; one, moreover, that is based on original research, and, from its consistency to re- corded facts, appears to approach very closely to the truth. Jeanne Bécu-Quantigny, Ange, Lange, or Vaubernier, for she had passed under all these names before her marriage with Guillaume Du Barry, was apparently not only a beautiful but a clever woman. ‘‘ Her disposition was in no sense common, much less vulgar; though without pretensions to brilliance, she had more wit than people gave her credit for; besides, her kindliness no less than her simplicity might have been sufficient com- pensation.” Her share in the intrigues which displaced Choiseul, the most capable minister of Louis XV., was. undertaken more in self-defence than from ambition, and usually the assertion of her influence appears to have been limited to the causes of mercy and charity. Even Marie Antoinette, who, as wife of the heir-apparent to the throne, bitterly resented her presence at Court, appears to have recognised that the favourite had not abused her power, and, after the death of the king, permitted her to retain the riches with which he had endowed her. Madame Du Barry’s life after her retirement to her little paradise was one of pleasure and luxury, but also of refinement. She maintained a liberal and intelligent patronage of the arts, and the royal government did not disdain sometimes to avail itself of her influence with her friends, which was always placed freely at their disposal. When the great upheaval of the Revolution occurred, Madame Du Barry might have escaped unnoticed had she been willing to remain quiescent ; but she regarded the royalist cause as her own, and sacrificed her vast wealth in a vain attempt to assist it. This ultimately brought her to the scaffold. It is urged as a reproach against her that, almost alone among the French women who were executed for their political actions, she met her death with ignoble terror, but this at least may be for- given her. M. Saint-Andre has succeeded in producing 162 a work marked by much original research, and inter- esting alike to the student of history or art, or those who read only for entertainment, while the introduction of M. Pierre de Nolhac is illumimative and conceived in excellent taste. THE issue of Mr. Edmund J. Sullivan’s series of power- ful cartoons in book-form invites comparison with the work of the equally celebrated Dutch essa oe oe cartoonist, Louis Raemaekers. This paid? wi comparison is the more interesting San ps ° as the methods of the two men are (Wm.Heinemann ‘°° entirely dissimilar. Raemackers 6s. net) is a frank realist. Many of his cartoons are statements of actual fact, only slightly tinged with caricature, and he thus may be bracketed with artists who, like Hogarth or Keene, illustrated the life and thought of their own age by representing either typical scenes in it or typical figures only slightly disguised for the purposes of allegory. They thus may be regarded as historians emphasising their view of life by keenly ironic touches. Mr. Sullivan does not come within this category. His view of life is more philosophical; he applies himself more to the suggestion of the underlying causes which influence the actions of the characters he depicts than to the representation of those actions. Hence his art belongs to the domain of allegory—he is more akin to Diirer than to Hogarth. There is, indeed, a distinct flavour of Diirer about his work, shown more especially in plates such as The Writing on the Wall, Imperial- isstmus, and The Return of the Conqueror, the latter being reminiscent of The Knight and Death; but this likeness is probably to be as much attributed to a similarity of outlook:as to any direct inspiration drawn by the living artist from the dead German master. Few draughtsmen are able to put so much power into their work as Mr. Sullivan, but he is rather inclined to overload it with literary significance, and impress it with a greater weight of allegory than it is able to bear. Thus while many of his cartoons are readily intelligible, others require inter- preting before they are perfectly understood. Another handicap he has given his work is his selection of a winged boy to typify his conception of Belgium. This figure is so associated with the personification of Love that it affects one with:a certain sense of incongruity. The mock heroic sufferings of Love have been so often pictured and described by illustrators and writers of erotic verse that the real sufferings of Belgium fail to impress one with a sufficient sense of actuality when presented in this form. Besides which the capacity for suffering and endurance of youth is limited, so that the idea of the heroic endurance of Belgium becomes less poignant when the nation is personified by this childish figure. In spite of these faults, Mr. Sullivan’s series of cartoons form a work of a singularly elevated character, powerful in their conception, draughtsmanship, and suggestion of colour, and are certainly numbered among the limited number of works of their kind which will be preserved after the war is over for the sake of their art.

Page 43

The Connotsseur **Collecting Old Miniatures” and “Collecting Old Glass,” by Sir James H. Yoxall, M.P. “The Collector’s Pocket Series.”’ (William Heine- mann. 2s. 6d. each net) INCLUDING his two latest hand- books, Sir James Yoxall must have written on nearly every sphere of collecting. Though such a wide range of activity is to be commended, it would not seem to imply a profound study of the indi- vidual subjects treated, so that one is not surprised to find that these two little volumes are somewhat super- ficial. That on Old Uiniatures is the more interesting as describing the author’s own purchases —generally at very low prices—from pawnbrokers’ and small jewellers’ shops, minor auction-rooms, and coster- mongers’ barrows. All the illustrations, which are generally small in size and indifferent in quality, are taken from examples in Sir James’s own collection. Unfortunately, though he gives attributions to all of them, there are only a few instances in which the author appears able to declare definitely that the works are originals by the artists whom he names, and even these few do not all appear above suspicion. Thus, concern- ing a miniature of an unknown gentleman, he tells us: ‘* The initials and date—‘A. G., 1798 ’—written near the border, are the only trace of any identity left. Turning up the records, I find that ‘A. G.’ must have stood for a certain Andrea Grazlia (? Graglia), who exhibited portrait miniatures at the Royal Academy between 1776 and 1792.” Why the ‘‘must”? The initials could equally well stand for Alessandro Graglia, who flourished about the same period, or even for some unknown contemporary painter whose name does not happen to be in ‘‘the records.” Sir James’s identification of the names of sitters may also be questioned. Judging from the illus- tration, the so-called portrait of Lady Skifwith appears less like that lady as presented by Sir Joshua Reynolds than it is to George Engleheart’s miniature of JJ/zss Mary Berrv inthe Pierpont Morgan collection, the latter art MADAME DU BARRY FROM ‘‘A KING’S FAVOURITE” FROM A PAINTING BY GAUTHIER-DAGOTY (HERBERT JENKINS, LTD.) 163 Bookshelf resemblance ex- tending not only to the features of the sitter, but also to the pose, treat- ment, and compo- sition of the sub- ject. One would think that a por- trait which Sir James identifies as Mrs. Siddons at the age of nineteen— that is in 1774-- should be dated thirty or forty years later to correspond tothe style in which the sitter’s hair is dressed; but in discussing these points of identifica- tion it is advisable to see the originals, for reproductions in half-tone are sometimes mislead- ing. It is a pity, however, that Sir James did not warn his readers that the dentification of portraits, unless of well-known celebrities, is a by no means easy matter. A quick eye, good memory, and a large library are essential to success, and the outlay of money and time necessary to secure and study the latter should be added on tothe cost of the miniatures acquired. Sir James, too, hardly deals fully enough with the subject of copies. Apparently he has not devoted much attention to it, or else he would hardly say that a modern reproduction on celluloid, only partially hand-painted, of the well-known picture of Lady Hamilton at the Spinning-Wheel, ‘‘ purports to be a Romney miniature of Lady Hamilton.” The fraudulent artist, if he had studied the matter at all, would know that Romney never painted miniatures, and consequently the best he could hope for was that his production should be mistaken not for an original, but for a contemporary copy. During the eighteenth and early nineteenth cen- turies many highly distinguished miniature artists, in their metier, earned large sums for miniatures copied from larger pictures. Henry Bone, for instance, received 2,200 guineas for a large enamel of Titian’s Bacchus and Ariadne, probably as much as the original would have brought at that time. Eighteenth- century portrait painters favoured the practice, which seems to have practically lapsed at the end of the Lawrence period. He kept George Raphael Ward almost entirely employed in making miniature copies of his pictures, and on his death Ward was obliged, through lack of work, to adopt

Page 44

The Connoisseur engraving for a profession. Many of these copies are fluently and skilfully painted, and so can easily be mis- taken by the uninitiated for originals. Sir James lays great stress on an examination of the fineness of the stippling in a miniature as a means of appraising its genuineness ; but fine stippling is comparatively easy to reproduce if sufficient time and care be taken. The attention of the collector should thus be almost exclusively turned to the quality of the draughtsmanship and brush- work. A good artist will put meaning and form into every stroke, however minute, a point in which the copyist generally fails. It should also be remembered that old miniatures, undistinguished by fine workmanship or beauty, or interest of subject, are practically worthless, and can be readily picked up for a merely nominal price. The volume on Old Glass, though not so interesting, is the more useful, as the author has selected more characteristic types for his illustrations, and the latter, though small, are well and clearly executed. Sir James has succeeded in compressing a great deal of handy information into a small space, and the volume is well arranged and clearly expressed. “ Amentet: an Account of the Gods, Amulets, and Scarabs of the Ancient Egyptians,” by Alfred E. Knight. (Longmans, Green & Co. and Spink & Son, Ltd. 12s. 6d. net. Large paper, 21s. net) THE collector of ancient Egyptian amulets is placed | in a most favourable position for the acquisition of know- ledge, for these pieces are fashioned not only in the form of gods, or. holy symbols, but also to resemble animals and articles of ceremonial and domestic importance. Thus he combines the study of the amulets themselves with that of religious and secular life in ancient Kamt. The custom of wearing talismans and amulets extends back into remote times, but whereas the former was accounted an active principle, the latter was held more or less as a defensive method by which evil might be warded from the wearer. Thus, when arrayed in a com- plete set of amulets, each hanging in their appointed manner and place, a believer might account himself almost, if not entirely, invulnerable from the assaults of man or devil. Speaking generally, amulets may be divided into five classes—(1) of Similars, for instance, a model of part of the human body which it would influ- ence ; (2) of Powers, for conferring powers and capacities, especially with regard to the dead; (3) of Property, derived from funeral offerings; (4) of Protection ; and (5) figures of gods. As may be imagined, these classes include a very great number of forms, all of which possess their own special significance. One of the most familiar is undoubtedly the ankh, or symbol of ‘‘life,” which is also known as the ‘‘crux ansata.” The origin of this amulet, resembling, as it does, a cross with a loop above, is by no means certain, but Mr. Knight has formulated an interesting theory to the effect that ‘‘ it is a composite symbol, a blending of the egg—the very ancient and natural sign of ‘ being ’—and of the tau, . . . which is generally regarded as a symbol of ‘life and salvation.’” Probably the commonest Egyptian amulet 164 is the Utchats, or Uzats, representing the eyes of Horus, or Ra, and sometimes Thoth, which assured the protec- tion of the sun and moon, and were also worn as a preventive against the ‘‘evil eye.”” They are found in numerous forms, and small specimens are easy to obtain. Mr. Knight says that ‘‘they are, next to the Ushabti, the commonest of all the amulets.” He also deals briefly with the latter, which, as readers will remember, formed the subject of an illustrated ‘article in our issue for September, 1915. A considerable section of Mr. Knight’s book is devoted to scarabs, ‘which, as all the world knows, were emblematical of the resurrection. These sacred beetles are divided into four classes—Funerary, Talismanic, Official, and Historical—and the work under consideration gives a lengthy and up-to-date list of rulers whose names appear in connection with them. What will prove to be one of the most valuable features of Amentet is probably the remarks upon the preser- vation of Egyptian antiquities. For instance, when treating of glazed figures, the colours of which have decomposed and changed, our author states that ‘‘ coat- ing with a solution of paraffin wax, after warming the figure,'will sometimes restore the colour. In cases where the glaze is ‘sweating salt’—a common fault with figures of a certain period—persistent soaking in cold or tepid water will neutralise the mischief.” The writer of this notice has in his collection a small green-glazed figure of ailioness, which periodically ‘‘ grows” a coat of silvery spines, causing it to present a curious appearance. We have not space to deal at greater length with Mr. Knight’s Amentet, which, it may be observed in pass- ing, was the name of the Egyptian ‘‘Other World,” but we can commend it as a valuable contribution to the study of the magic of the Nile land, and shall be surprised if we do not see its purple covers upon the shelves of collectors who are interested in amulets and all appertaining to them. CORNWALL at the present moment is as removed from the clash of arms as any portion of Great Britain. Per- haps it is this fact which has induced Mr. G. F. Nicholls to dwell wholly on its peaceful aspect in his drawings “ Cornwall,” painted by G.F. Nicholls, de- illustrating the scenery of the county. scribed by G. E. Every view he gives us is of calm Mitton. (Adam seas and of landscapes which, though not always sunny, are never thrilled with the touch of tempest, or even of boisterous breeze. This aspect of the western land is not only pleasant, but is undoubtedly the most familiar to the orthodox visitor, for Cornish gales and tempests generally limit their appearance to the season when he is absent. Mr. Nicholls gives his score of views of grey fishing villages, grass and gorse-covered cliff-tops backed by blue seas, and other characteristic Cornish scenes, in atmospheric and harmonious colour —a little wanting in strength, perhaps, but always restful and agreeable. His literary collaborator, Mr. G. E. Mitton, describes Cornish scenery, and retells Cornish legends with a lively and picturesque pen. Of and Charles Black, Ltd. 7s. 6d. net)

Page 45

isig4y ay, fo uoissimasag Kg SYHHLINS YAITIOO AW ONILNIVd HHL WOdd H9e0d S.dIdNo

Page 46

S Ie Rhaa

Page 47

The Connoisseur Bookshelf the Arthurian legend he writes with discretion and knowledge, lo¢alising the various scenes in the king’s life which old and modern writers and local traditions have placed in Cornwall. One cannot hold with him, however, that King Arthur’s origi- nal castle at Tintagel— supposing, indeed, that he ever lived there— ‘was much the same (as the present one), only with heavy round arches.” Massive stone structures, like this medizval pile, were only introduced after the NormanConquest—the earlier type of fortification consisted of earthworks surmounted by palisades, and it is probable that Arthur’s original seat was protected only by some such defence. Mr. Mitton should have given some data for his confident as- sertion regarding the site of the Norman castle at Launceston, that ‘‘ there was most certainly a Saxon castle here before it,” for Mr. E. S. Armitage has recently pointed out that the land for the site was obtained from the church, which ‘‘is a proof that the castle was new, for it was not the custom of the Saxon prelates thus to fortify themselves.” In his description of scenery the author is always happy, giving a vivid idea of the natural beauties without any tendency to exaggeration. FROM ‘‘ AMENTET ” “Archaic Sculpturings: Notes on Art, Philosophy, and Religion in Britain, 2000 B.C. to 900 A.D.,’”’ by Ludovic Maclellan Mann. (William Hodge & Co, 2s. 6d. net) IT is desirable for an author of archeological leanings to possess imagination, but not in too large a quantity. Some prefer to offer up merely the dry bones of the science, whilst others are prone to such wealth of em- bellishment that it is doubtful whether a revivified ancient would recognise some of his most homely familiars. The paucity of definite knowledge about the philosophies of Early Britain might be thought to warrant the pursuit of some high flights of fancy, but in this respect Mr. L. Maclellan Mann has exercised considerable moderation, and all his theories are at least plausible, that is to say when there are no means of confirming them. One of his chief arguments goes to substantiate the important EGYPTIAN INSCRIBED AMULETS (LONGMANS AND SPINK AND SON) 167 fact that the character of the mysterious ‘‘cup and ring’ carvings was actu- ated by a dominant religious intention, whilst their seemingly casual arrangement was —like many larger works —governed in reality by careful calculation. Turning from these toa remarkable relic of the Bronze Age, we have a lignite disc or plaque which was found at Port- patrick. On one of the faces appears a rectangu- lar figure divided into seven sections, each con- taining what would appear to be glyphs. No theory has yet been formulated to elucidate the matter, but at-first sight the stu- dent of Egyptian or Baby- lonian antiquities cannot fail to remark a strange familiarity in the hastily executed markings. To those who are interested — in this and other enigma- tical productions of the ancient British sculptors, we should recommend a perusal of Mr. Mann’s erudite book. A REPRINT of 7he Frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, by Mr. E. March Phillipps, is the second book dealing with art included in Mr. John Murray’s is. library, its predecessor being The Painters of Florence, by Miss **’The Frescoesin the Sistine .- 7 Chapel, by E. Julia Cartwright (Mrs. Ady). All March Phillipps the illustrations given in the last QGohn Murray pts tes net) edition are included, the type used is bold and clear, and altogether the volume is to be commended as a handy and well- mounted as well as an inexpensive presentation of a standard work. THIS volume marks the second year of Who’s Who in Philately, a concise and useful handbook for stamp-collectors. Names known in connection with the pursuit are arranged in alpha- betical order, and each heads a list of biographical details. The volume is neatly though plainly produced, and is, moreover of a handy size, which will doubtless prove to be a point in its favour. “Who’s Who in Philately,” edited by Alfred H. Harris. (‘‘ Phila- telic Circular,” Balham, 2s. 6d. net)

Page 48

THOUGH Sir Thomas Lawrence died unmarried, and his morals were never seriously questioned, he was fated to indulge in numerous more or less serious flirtations with members of the opposite sex. One of the most. lasting of these platonic intimacies was that with Mrs. Wolff, the wife of the Danish consul. He maintained a corres- pondence with this lady and painted several portraits of her, the most important of which has been made widely known by the fine engraving by Cousins. It was not known that he had also painted the husband. On December 17th, however, at Messrs. Christie’s, a portrait of Mr. George Wolff, in brown coat, with white vest and stock, 294 in. by 244 in., made its appearance among the miscellaneous properties, and realised £99 17s. Another picture at the same sale possessing sentimental associa- tions with its painter was that of Charles Frederick Abel, by Gainsborough. It may be remembered that Gains- borough was so enraptured with Abel’s performance on the viol-de-gamba—the musician’s special instrument— that he insisted upon buying it, and was disappointed that he could not attain similar results with it. The canvas, which was included in a small collection of musical portraits sold by order of the executors of the late Dr. W. H. Cummings, measured 49 in. by 39 in., and showed Abel in a plum-coloured coat, lined with blue, and a gold-embroidered vest, seated at a table, while between his knees was a viol-de-gamba, not improbably the actual instrument bought by the artist, for it is un- likely that the musician would trouble to bring his own to the sittings. The picture, which is mentioned in Sir Walter Armstrong’s Life of Gainsborough, brought £399. Other English works included Portrait of a Boy, in red dress, seated in a landscape, 294 in. by 24} in., by Sir M. A. Shee, £78 I5s. ; a set of four hunting subjects, on panel, 6 in. by 84 in. each, by Sartorius, £105; Zhe Rat-Trap, on panel, 293 in. by 24} in., by F. Wheatley, R.A., £99 15s.; and a Portrait of John Sheldon, with inscription and date 1672, 26 in. by 214 im., artist un- known, £42. Among foreign works the best prices were realised by A Family Group of a gentleman with his wife and:four children in a garden, 49 in. by 66} in., £273; a portrait of Az Old Lady, in fur cape and black Pictures and Drawings 168 Kr \) ASCH hood, seated by a table, 444 in. by 36 in., school ot Rembrandt, £294; A Farmstead, with peasant women milking, on panel, 184 in. by 244 in., by Potter, £84; and A Frozen River Scene, with figures : moonlight, by A. van der Neer, on panel, 144 in. by 19 in., £37 I6s. On December tIoth, at Messrs. Knight, Frank and Rutley’s, a picture of Sheep in Landscape, by E. Ver- boeckhoven, 52 in. by 39% in., was knocked down for £175. The same firm offered a number of interesting lots at their sale of January 14th. The late Sir W. Q. Orchardson’s well-known painting, Four Generations: Windsor Castle, 1899, realised £241 10s. It measures 29 in. by 4o in., and was exhibited by command of T.M. King George V. and Queen Mary at Buckingham Palace, and at Marlborough House by Queen Alexandra, 1913. Zhe lonian Dance, by Sir E. J. Poynter, P.R.A., 15 in. by 20 in., which was exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1895, fetched £252; Summer Waters, by J. W. North, A.R.A., 52 in. by 74 in., exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1894, and Corporation Gallery, Man- chester, 1895, £115 los. ; and Good Friends, by Marcus Stone, R.A., 234 in. by 174 in., £151 4s. Other prices were :—The King of the Causeway, by Briton Riviére, R.A., 29 in. by 23 in., exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1905, £84; Wandering Thoughts, by G. H. Boughton, 23 in. by 15 in., exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1865, £39 9s.; Shady Pastures: Noon, by Mark Fisher, A.R.A., 274 in. by 383 in., £78 15s.; A Breakdown on the Road, by C. Schloesser, 24 in. by 46 in., exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery, 1878, £39 ; and Hopes and. Fears, by S. E. Waller, R.I., 36 in. by 28 in., £26. On January 28th Messrs. Christie, Manson and Woods sold paintings from various properties. The picture of Lewis Waller, in the character of ‘‘M. Beaucaire,” by the Hon. John Collier, 1903, 93 in. by 53 in., exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1903, and engraved in colour by W. Macbeth-Raeburn, realised £73 10s. It formerly belonged to the sitter. Amongst a miscellaneous series a drawing of A View of Plymouth from the Citadel, by W. Callow, 1863, 214 in. by 29} in., brought £26 5s. ; whilst of the paintings, a Portrait of Rembrandt, of the Rembrandt school, 23} in. by 18} in., after a spirited competition, fetched £378, some of the company present

Page 49

In the Sale ascribing it to the hand of the master himself; 4 Dzstan¢ Hlatlstorm coming on, and the march of soldiers with their baggage, by P. J. de Loutherbourg, R.A., 1799, 41 in. by 63 in., exhibited at the Royal Academy in the same year, £47 5s. ; Breaking Cover, by R. B. Davis, 284 in. by 383 in., £42; Venus and Cupid, by W. Etty, R.A., on panel, 11 in. by 184 in., £24 3s.; A Landscape, by A. Cuyp, on panel, 13? in. by 17} in., £57 15s. ; and An Interior, with peasants merrymaking, by J. M. Molenaer, on panel, 24} in. by 29 in., £44 2s. Some pictures from the collection of Sir George Harvey, P.R.S.A., which were sold by order of the trustees of his daughter, the late Miss E. Harvey, then came under the hammer. A River Scene, by J. van Goyen, signed and dated 1651, on panel, 15 in. by 19} in., realised £336; two wings of a triptych, Zhe Nativity and The Adoration of the Magi, school of Jerom Bosch, on panel, 45 in. by 20 in., each £252; The Meet of a Hawking Party, by P. Wouvermans, on panel, 21 in. by 294 in., £50 8s.; The Corn Doctor, by A. Brauwer, on panel, 10f in. by 83 in., £44 2s.; and A Ally Landscape, by N. Berchem, 16 in. by 22 in., £29 8s.*° These were succeeded by four portraits, sold by order of the executors of the late Miss Catherine Gordon, from the brush of David Martin. This artist is now best remembered as forming a connecting link between two greater painters. He was a pupil of Allan Ramsay, and for a short period permitted Raeburn the run of his own studio, but be- coming jealous of his protégé, he banished him under the pretext that the young artist was copying his pictures. His Portrait of Archibald Keir, Esg., wearing a medal presented to him by the Great Mogul, signed and dated 1765, 29} in. by 24} in., brought £90 6s. ; that of A Lady of the Keir Family, 29} in. by 24} in., £168 ; another of a lady of the same family, 29} in. by 24} in., £94; and a Portrait of a Gentleman of the Keir Family, 29} in. by 24} in., £68 5s. A SERIES of engravings and etchings from various properties came under the hammer at Messrs. Christie, Manson & Woods’ on December 2Ist. The «sale opened with Rosina, by C. Knight, after T. Stothard, printed in colours, which realised £21; and Bacchus Reposing and Bacchus Triumphant, a pair, by M. Bovi and I. A. Minasi, after Lady Diana Beauclerk, also in colours, £27 6s. Shortly afterwards, MW/rs. Siddons and Miss Farren, by P. W. Tomkins and J. Collyer, i colours, brought £99 15s. ; Lady Elizabeth Foster, by C. Watson, after J. Downman, in colours, £39 18s.; Master Bun- bury, by F. Howard, after Sir J. Reynolds, first state, £99 15s. ; and /zfancy and Fidelity, a pair, by C. White, after R. Cosway and D. Gardner, in colours, £54 12s. Modern etchings were well represented. Zhe North Porch, Harfleur (R. 360), by D. Y. Cameron, fetched £52 1os.; and 7So7 (Friedland), by J. Jacquet, after J. L. E. Meissonier, remarque proof, signed by the painter and engraver, £22 1s. By Axel Haig, Zhe Morning of the Festival, £24 3s.; A Quiet Hour, * £30 9s.; and Mont St. Michel, £36 15s. By Muirhead Engravings and Etchings 169 Room Bone, Distant Oxford (D. 195), £30 9s. ; Zhe Masts, Lincoln (D. 183), £31 10s.; Chiswick Mall, £29 8s. ; Moore’s Yard, Cambridge (D. 136), £27 6s. ; The Hay- stack (D. 157), before the man standing in the dark shadow, £23 2s.; Stirling Castle, No. 2, £29 8s. ; The Fosse, Lincoln (D. 184), £33 12s.; Leeds (D. 181), £27 6s.; Liberty's Clock, £65 2s.; and Demolition of St. James’s Hall—the Exterior (D. 207), £48 6s. The three last-mentioned etchings were framed. OLD English silver from various sources was the feature of Messrs. Christie’s sale on December 14th. From the collection of the late Mrs. F. G. Saunders two Commonwealth silver-gilt seal-top spoons, by Stephen Venables, one of the date 1650, realised £17 10s. ; a Charles II. seal-top spoon, engraved with initials A.R.K., 1661, maker’s mark F.P., with mullet below, £7; and a set of four table-candlesticks, cluster column stems, with foliage capitals, on square step plinths with gadrooned borders, 12} in. high, 1757, £30. These three lots were sold ‘‘all at.” A Queen Anne oval tobacco-box, with moulded borders, the base engraved with a coat of arms and ‘‘ Franciscus Wight, Obit Feb: 15, 1720, Anno AEtatis 60”; to the lid applied a portrait bust in profile of Charles I., surrounded by inscription, ‘‘ The® Glorious Martyr, Rebello did destroy, They, God, who was Their aim, could not ahoy. Carolus Primus Rex. Martyrio. Coronatus Jaf: 30, 1648,” by Edward Cornock, 1713, weight 4 0z., was knocked down for 190s. per oz. This interesting piece came from the collection of the late J. C. Lowry. The following lots were from various properties :—An oval pierced and engraved mustard-pot, with blue glass liner, 1787, weight 3 oz. 3 dwt., brought 48s. per oz. ; a cream-jug formed as a cow with a fly on her back, 1764, weight 4 oz. 1 dwt., gos. per oz.; an Irish potato-ring, pierced with trellis- work, and embossed and chased with festoons of flowers, fruit, birds, and a squirrel, 4 in. high, 8 in. diameter, by William Hughes, Dublin, 1772, weight 12 oz. 7 dwt., 210s. per oz.; a James I. Maidenhead spoon, 1605, maker’s mark a crescent and T., £13 Ios. ‘‘all at”; a Charles I. slip-top spoon, 1637, maker’s mark R.C., with a cinquefoil and pellets, £8 ros. ‘‘all at” ; anda Danish peg-tankard with cylindrical barrel, engraved with formal flowers and scrollwork, the lower part and cover repoussé and chased with masks, amorini, and fruit, the cover engraved with two coats of arms, an inscription and date 1672 (gross weight 27 oz. 5 dwt.), £18 18s. ‘‘all at.” Silver A NUMBER of Dresden porcelain snuff-boxes came under the hammer at Messrs. Christie’s on December 2oth. : A small oblong box, painted inside and out with children in landscape on white ground, and mounted with gold borders, fetched £25 4s.; an oblong box, painted with nymphs and cupids in pale pink scroll borders, Venus and cupid inside the lid, mounted with silver-gilt borders, £30 9s.; an oblong box, painted with lovers in green tinted with other colours, and with a garden scene and figures in colours inside the lid, mounted with gold Pottery and Porcelain

Page 50

The Connoisseur borders, £27 6s.; and an octagonal box, painted with views of chateaux, landscapes, and figures, and with the Saxon-Polish arms on the lid, £27 6s. On December 22nd a collection of porcelain from various properties was put up for auction at Christie’s. A Staffordshire toby filpot jug, by Ralph Wood, 1o in. high, sold for £42; part of a Nantgarw dessert service, painted with detached roses and rosebuds, comprising four square-shaped dishes, three oval dishes, and eleven plates, impressed mark, £54 12s. ; a pair of Bow candle- sticks, formed as figures of lovers at a fountain, with bouquet of flowers at back, pink, blue, and white scroll plinth, 9 in. high, £25 4s. ; an Hispano-Mauro (Manises) large gobular jar and cover, decorated with lions intro- duced amongst formal flowers and foliage, in copper lustre, 24 in. high, £15 15s. ; and an old Worcester jug, painted with exotic birds and insects, in scroll panels with gilt borders on dark blue scale-pattern ground, 9 in. high, £94 Ios. MESSRS. KNIGHT, FRANK & RUTLEY dispersed the property of a ‘“‘lady of title” at their galleries (20, Han- over Square) on December toth. Two pieces of tapestry were worthy of notice. The first, an antique Flemish panel woven with a village scene in the Teniers style, 11 ft. high, 14 ft. 7 in. wide, realised £656 5s. ; whilst the second, a seventeenth-century Flemish panel depict- ing a harvesting scene, 8 ft. high, 11 ft. wide, was knocked down for £105. Amongst the furniture, a Louis XVI. tall kingwood secretaire, elaborately inlaid with design of a writing-table, etc., in coloured wood, ormolu mounts, sold for £255. At the same rooms on January 14th, a William and Mary walnut and mar- queterie cabinet, fitted with thirteen drawers and small cupboard enclosed by folding doors, inlaid on both sides with vases of flowers, standing on a chest of two short and three long drawers, brass handles and escutcheons, 4 ft. 2 in. wide, 7 ft. high, brought £26 15s. 6d. Furniture and Tapestry AN interesting collection of war medals and decorations came under the hammer at Messrs. Glendining & Co.’s Viedals sale on December 16th and 17th A group of medals which were awarded to a Colour-Sergeant of the King’s Royal Rifles, realised £40. The group included the Albert medal, second class (presented in the name of Her Majesty in recog- nition of the recipient’s gallantry in saving life from the launch of H.M.S. /mmortalité on the occasion of the loss of the s.s. Ufofia, March 17th, 1891); Boer war medal, 7 bars (Cape Colony, Talana, Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, Laing’s Nek, Belfast, South Africa, 1901); Long Service Medal, Edward VII. ; Italian medal, ‘*Al Valore di Marina”; and silver medal of the Royal Humane Society. Noteworthy amongst a somewhat lengthy series of Waterloo medals were the following :— Awarded to Lieut. —— (3rd Line Batt. K.G.L.), £12 Ios. ; awarded to Lieut. —— (2nd Batt. 95th Regt. Foot), who was severely wounded in the battle, £17; awarded to Ensign —— (3rd Batt. 14th Regt. Foot), 170 who was present at the battle with non-commissioned rank, but received a commission for services there on June 27th, 1815, £14. All the above were in fine condition. Egypt, one bar, awarded to a Lieut. 54th Foot, realised £10 tos. It was in mint condition, and was catalogued as being rare to this regiment. Some other interesting lots were :—10 bars : Busaco, Albuhera, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse (Sergt., 47th Foot, and Quarter- master), fine, fetched £12 I10s.; 11 bars: Corunna, Martinique, Albuhera, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, St. Sebastian, Nivelle, Orthes, Toulouse (Private, 23rd Foot), very fine and rare, £21; and 12 bars: Corunna, Busaco, Fuentes d’Onor, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse (Corpl., 52nd Foot), very fine and rare, £31. AMONGST the objets d’art sold by Messrs. Christie, Manson & Woods on December 20th, an enamel portrait ‘ ofthe Duchesse de la Valliére, of the Objets d'Art, ete. school of Petitot, fetched £22 Is. ; a miniature of Napoleon, by Isabey, 1813, £21; and an old English oval gold snuff-box, enamelled blue, in pale blue borders, the lid set with a miniature of a lady, London hall-mark, 1794, £20 9s. 6d. An auction sale on behalf of the Red Cross was held at the Croydon Public Hall during January. Queen Alexandra’s trousseau handkerchief, which was embroi- dered by Danish ladies, was put up by the Mayor of Croydon on the 25th, and was knocked down for £55 at the bid of Mr. H. Berney, who presented his acquisition to Mrs. Ian Malcolm in recognition of her services as chairman. Later, a pen-and-ink sketch of the Princess Royal as an infant, by the late Queen Victoria, realised £10. On January 26th the Countess of Gosford offered a gilt model of a Belgian Hotel de Ville, which had been bought in Brussels a quarter of a century ago. The highest bid for it was one of £10, whereupon it was again put up, and realised a further £6. A chest of seven- teenth-century design, about 4 ft. in length, brought £22. It had been carved by Mr. R. F. Colam, K.C., the Recorder of Croydon, from home-grown cedar-;wood. Two interesting items were included in a sale at the Anderson Galleries, New York, on January 12th. One was a four-page letter written to T. L. Peacock by Shelley, dated from Ravenna, in August, 1821, and referring to a visit which he had paid to Byron. It realised £297. The other item was a letter written to Benjamin Motte by Swift, dated from Dublin, November to January, 1732-33, which fetched £75. On January 27th Messrs. Christie, Manson & Woods disposed of the collection of theatrical relics formed by the late Mr. Lewis Waller. A scarf-pin, with ‘*E” in rubies, and the figure 7 and a crown in diamonds, which was presented to the actor by H.M. King Edward VII. after the performance of ‘‘ Robin Hood” at. Windsor Castle, realised £30; whilst a set of three studs, with ‘¢E” and a crown on red, white and blue enamel ground, in diamond borders, with mount to form a scarf-pin,

Page 51

[In the Sale Room which was presented to and by the same after the performance of ‘‘Still Waters Run Deep” at Windsor Castle, £30. Later in the day a life-size bronze bust of Lewis Waller, by E.*Onslow Ford, R.A., signed and dated 1900, fetched £115 Ios. THE collection of paintings, etc., formed by the late Hugo Reisinger, were dispersed at the Plaza Ballroom and at the American Art Galleries in peessrienny January. On the first day of sale, Pallet io Girl, by L. Fronberg, 24 in. by 19 in., realised $1,600; Dogwood Blossoms, bi W. L. Metcalf, 29 in. by 26 in., $1,200; Zhe Water Fall, Yellowstone Park, by J. H. Twachtman, 30 in. by 30 in., $3,300; Wild Cherry Tree, by the same, 30 in. by 30 in., $4,350; Susse¢t, by C. Hassam, 22 in. by 20in., $3,400; Leda and the Swan, by the same, 25 in. by 30 in., $2,000; Brooklyn Bridge in Winter, by the same, 32 in. by 25 in., $3,300; IZzd-day, by J. A. Weir, 34 in. by 24 in., $3,000; 4A Landscape, by J. F. Murphy, 24 in. by 36 in., $4,950; Ameglish Cod, by W. M. Chase, 29 in. by 36 in., $1,550; Sea and Foam, by F. J. Waugh, 36 in. by 47 1n., $1,200; Morning Snow, by G. Bellows, 444 in. by 634 in., $1,075; Aafant au Chien, by Diaz de la Pena), 13} in. by 10% in., $1,525 ; Harvesters, by J. C. Cazin, 12$ in. by 9} in., $1,700; Petit Souper, by G. la Touche, 15# in. by 13} in., $1,100 ; La Bateneuse, by F. A. Renoir, 16 in. by 12? in.; $4,950; Les Environs de Beavais, by Corot, 18 in. by 13 in., $10,200; Scene in Venice, by F. Thaulow, 214 in. by 18} in., $1,000; /z Deep Thought, by A. Stevens, 183 in. by 23 in., $1,200; A Young Girl, pastel, by F. A. Renoir, 183 in. by 23} in., $1,050; La Place de la Republique, Rouen, by C. Pissarro, 18} in. by 21} in., $1,850; Davseuses, by Degas, 244 in. by 19 in., $6,300 ; Moyer a Veneux-Nadon, by A. Sisley, 193 in. by 254 in., $2,000; Harvesting, pastel, by L. A. L’Hermitte, 213 in. by 17 in., $1,900; Cherbourg, by L. E. Boudin, 164 in. by 22 in., $1,100; LI’ Octroi a’issy, by J. C. Cazin, 18} in. by 24 in., $2,300; Bain de Mer, Treport, by J. F. Raffaelli, 21 in. by 24 in., $3,625; The Storm, by J. Dupré, 214 in. by 25% in., $1,900; Peasant Girl, by A. Zorn, 27 in. by 204 in., $6,100; Etretat: Sunset, by C. Monet, 24 in. by 312 in., $7,400; Femme a la Chévre, by C. Pissarro, 32 in. by 252 1n., $5,100; Winter Scene, Norway, by F. Thaulow, 254 in. by 32 in., $2,100; A Cathedral: Northern France, by J. F. Raffaelli, 32 in. by 26 in., - $1,250; Waterloo Bridge, by C. Monet, 26 in. by 36 in., $9,300; Beach at Etretat, by L. E. Boudin, 31 in. by 43 in., $4,100; Dryades, pastel, by R. Ménard, 28 in. by 354 in., $1,025; and Zhe Bather, by A. Zorn, 39 in. by 27 in., $7,000. High prices were not quite so frequent on the second day of sale, the first three works to realise sums of importance being J. B. Jongkind’s Marne, g} in. by 122 in., $1,100; W. Maris’s water-colour Ducks, 12 in. by 19} in., $1,000; and A. Mauve’s water- colour Bleaching, 14 in. by 10 in., $1,700. Shortly after these, Alone, a water-colour by J. Israels, 18 in. by 13 in., fetched $1,050; and Zhe Young Artist, a water-colour by J. Maris, 174 in. by 194 in., $2,500. Other items of interest were as follows :—Venice, by F. Brangwyn, A.R.A.;, 37% in. by 394 in., $2,500; Girl on Welsh Mountain, by A. E. John, 17% in. by 142 in., $1,050; Water Joy, by Sorolla y Bastida, 32 in. by 41} in., $3,300; Polospiel, by M. Liebermann, 11 in. by 184in., $1,250; Actor, by W. Leibl, 23 in. by 17 in., $4,100; Girl Read- ing, by F. K. H. von Uhde, 232 in. by 19} in., $1,750; Still-Life: Fruit, by C. Schuer, 293 in. by 22 in., $3,100; At Spring, by A. Bocklin, 21 in. by 30% in., $8,200 ; Landscape, by W. Triibner, 30 in. by 25 oy $1,100; oon Hour, by H. Thoma, 263 in. by 322 in., $1:000; Ecstasy, by Prof. von Lenbach, 45 in. by 332 in., $2,700; Mordwijk, by M. Liebermann, 28 in. by 35% in., $1,000; Oxen, by H. J. Ziigel, 21 in. by 31% in., $1,000; Country Folk coming from Market, by the same, 22 in. by 34 in., $1,100; Sheep Homeward Bound, by the same, 354 in. by 48 in., $1,450; and Sheep going to Pasture, by the same, 36 in. by 48 in., $1,600. The third day was notable on account of the fact that no less than twenty-eight paintings by Zorn came under the hammer. Of these, Zoas¢, realised $950 ; /ntertor of a Parisian Omnibus, $600; Zorn and his Model, $385; At Piano, $310; and Edo, $310. Whistler’s /orge was knocked down for $200; and amongst other lots, Sir F. S. Haden’s Sumset in Ireland brought $425. During the dispersal at the Anderson Galleries of the collection formed by the late N. M. Matthews, J/ount Shasta, Calif, by W.. Keith, 39 in. by 72 in., was sold for $1,400; whilst Dogs attacking Stags, by F. Snyders, 56 in. by 76 in., fetched $1,000. IT was thought that the war would cause a bad slump both in values and in the trade, but a short tour around the leading London dealers shows this to be far from true; in fact, they most of them complain that nothing fine is coming on the market, and when a fine stamp is offered for sale, either by auction or elsewhere, the price obtained is generally in advance of that ruling before the war. At the present time the great demand is for stamps whose issue has been caused by the war, and a brief account of these may prove of interest. Place of honour must be given to brave and gallant Belgium. On October 2nd, 1914, two sets of stamps were issued in Antwerp two days before the capitulation. These consisted of an emblematic group, with the Red Cross in the lower corners, and of the values of 5c., 1oc., and 2oc., and three smaller stamps of similar values with the head of the heroic King Albert. It is said that 15,000 of each of these were sold at double the nominal value, one moiety going to the Post Office and the other to the Red Cross funds. The demand for these has been so great that the price of the set of six has already advanced from 34d. to 12s. 6d. The Belgian Government moved to Havre, and here a new set of three stamps were issued on January 2nd, 1915. These, however, were found insufficient for the use of the Belgians in Havre and of the army on the frontier, so later on, in 1915, a full set of fourteen stamps Stamp Collecting

Page 52

The Connoisseur were issued, in value from I centime to Io francs, and these are still in use. By far the most interesting and most valuable stamps arising out of the war are the German Colonial Stamps seized by the Australians, the French, and the British in the former German colonies, and promptly surcharged for the use of the various expeditionary forces. The Marshall, Marianne, and Caroline Islands were occupied by our allies, the Japanese, and administered by them. Only the large island of Mauru (one of the Marshall Islands) was taken possession of by the Australian Expeditionary Force, and is administered from Rabaul in German New Guinea. The German stamps of the current type found here were surcharged G.R.I., and the new value in British currency. The following are stamps issued :— German Marshal New Guinea. /slands. Id. on 3 pf. - - - - 1,280 2,600 Id. on 5 pf. - - - - 4,558 - - 1,200 2d. on I0 pf. - : - 5,290 - - 12,800 2d. on 20 pf. - - -.' Sa07 + - 10,000 3d. on 25 pf. - 309 - - 200 . 3d. on 30 pf. , - ate, eaten 203 4d. on 40 pf. - - - + Ain - 1,020 5d. on 50 pf. - 282 525 8d. on 80 pf. - - - 328i 406 Is. on I mark 63. =«- - 85 2s.on 2marks~ - . - a . 200 3s. on 3 marks 48 - - 45 5s) on 5 marks - - - .s HES - 30 Later on a few other odd values were issued, but the number was very small, and has not been given out. As there are many thousands of collectors who want these stamps, it will be seen at once that some of these must become great rarities, and high prices are being paid for the scarcer values. Particulars of other war issues will be given next month. THE sales in December were not of any great import- ance, and in general all the stamp auctioneers say they cannot get stamps fine enough for their clients, but when a really fine stamp turns up it generally commands an even better price than before the war. Messrs. Glendining & Co., of the Argyll Rooms, near Oxford Circus Station, obtained 42s. for four Great Britain 1840 Id. black on original envelopes, although the catalogue price is only 2s. each; but many specialists pay fancy prices for stamps on the original covers, and with rare varieties of obliterations. A Ceylon Is. 9d. Stamp Auction Prices in December green sold for £6 tos. (catalogued £7); a Ceylon 64c. red brown, perforated, 14 in. by 12}in., £5 ; anda Mauritius, 1848, 1d. red on blue paper, used, was well sold at £21. The popular New South Wales "850 ‘‘ Sydney Views ” sold well up to list prices, 1d. carmine, Plate I., £6 5s. (catalogued £6 1os.), and many others from £3 3s. to £7 10s. each. Gibraltar King Edward, although only obsolete a few years, fetch big premiums, the £1 single watermark at £3 17s. 6d. andthe £1 multiple at £3 I5s. being nearly four times what they cost not so long ago. Messrs. Harmer, Rooke & Co., of Fleet Street, also had a successful month, the following being a few of the more interesting prices they obtained :—‘‘ Sydney Views,” 1d. carmine, no clouds, 70s. and 80s. (catalogued £6 1os.); a pair of 1d. with clouds sold for the good price of £9—pairs or strips of old imperforated stamps always commanding much more than the same number of single stamps. The 1d. with clouds, the variety ‘‘ no shading on the hill,” made £5 (catalogued £10); 2d., Plate II., early impression, £4; a block of four of the 3d. green, £13 I0s.; but a really superb block of four would be cheap at £30, as these stamps are almost always very heavily obliterated. In the next issue, called the ‘‘laureated,” the Id. orange - brown on laid paper, variety ‘‘ without leaves to right of SOUTH,” sold for £3 7s. (catalogued £10). Queensland 1860, 2d. blue in a fine pair, must be considered a great bargain at £7 I5s. Sarawak, trial sheets printed by Perkins, Bacon & Co., sold at £4 and £4 15s. each, quite a good price. Messrs. W. Bull & Co., of Queen Victoria Street, City, obtained £9 15s. for the Zululand £20 fiscal postal, unused ; Ceylon Is. 9d. green, a fine copy, only fetched £2 17s. 6d. ; Hong Kong, ‘‘ THREE” on 5c. on 18c., sold at £4 10s. ; Lagos, 1884, Ios. purple brown, sold well at £13 Ios. ; Mauritius, the old native prints, always go well up to catalogue, and a 2d. blue, ‘‘small fillet,” at £5 5s., and a 2d. slate-blue at £5 12s. 6d., were quite pre-war prices. Messrs. Plumridge & Co., of Chancery Lane, got £50 for a set of the German New Guinea surcharged G.R.I. and new values in British currency, and the purchaser may be congratulated on his bargain. A set of the Cameroons, recently issued in the late Germah colony for the use of the expeditionary forces, sold well at 47 15s., as these are fairly plentiful in London, for many officers have been home on leave and have sold some of the seven sets each one was allowed to purchase. The Cape of Good Hope ‘“‘triangular” always go well: a pair of 1d. red on bluish at £2 15s., a block of four 1d. pale red at £4 I5s., a pair of 6d. greyish-slate at £4 5s., and a pair of 1s. yellow-green at £6 5s., were all good prices. 172

Page 53

[Photo Mansell RUSTIC CHILDREN BY WILLIAM COLLINS, ReAe ) ~*~ ~ ° Q, is?) Enon ~ z 9) +S m 4 ~~ Q A s<0) png ~ = 5 +S Ry,

Page 54

Page 55

IT is surprising how slight and uninformed is the interest which successive British governments take in science and art. Their attitude is that of the wealthy Philistine, who spends money on such matters because it is respectable, and not because he enjoys them or expects to derive any moral or material advantage from their acquirement. This is obviously the standpoint taken by the Committee on Retrenchment in Public Expenditure in their third report, which recommends the closing of the national art galleries and museums. The document is instructive as showing the casual manner in which important Government reports are prepared. The Com- mittee apparently started with the idea that science and art are wholly unessential luxuries. From this naturally follows the corollary that all savings effected by a tem- porary suppression of Government institutions concerned in their propagation are a direct gain to the nation. Taking these points for granted, the Committee did not deem it necessary to inquire very closely into the actual amount of the savings likely to be effected. The upkeep of the national museums costs £400,000 a year. Weare informed on good authority that the Committee hoped that £250,000 of this might be saved by closing the institutions. In their report they committed themselves to the statement that £26,000 would certainly be saved. There is a wide discrepancy between these amounts. A business man who was told that by sacrificing certain interests he might effect a saving of between 6} per cent. and 624 per cent. would ask for more explicit figures, and would also want information of the value of the interests to be sacrificed. The report contains nothing bearing on the latter point. Obviously the Committee have not troubled to consult the members of the pro- fessions and industries to whom the national art galleries and museums are of practical value, as to what will be the effect of closing these institutions. The Committee’s report, indeed, when it goes beyond a statement of opinion, is generally either partial or inaccurate. For instance, the 5th clause tells us that ‘‘the closing of the museums and galleries would be a valuable lesson in economy, and would point the way to similar economies in local museums and galleries. It would also be in accordance with the policy already adopted in Paris, The Closing of National Museums and Picture Galleries 175 where all the museums and galleries, except the Luxem- bourg (where the Senate sits), are closed.” If one is to acquit the Committee of disingenuousness, the only meanings to be gathered from the last sentence are that (1) the French Government have closed the national museums in Paris from economical motives; (2) that the Luxembourg gallery has been kept open because the Senate sits there. Both these statements are incorrect. The French Government closed the national museums in Paris when the Germans were threatening the city. Now that the danger is averted, the museums and galleries either have been or will be reopened; while the con- nection of the Senate with the Luxembourg picture gallery is entirely limited to the fact that it sits, as it has done for many generations past, in another wing: of the building which contains it. The action of the French Government places the Eng- lish Government in an awkward quandary. England is supplementing the French resources with immense loans raised on the security of English taxpayers. If museums and art galleries are unnecessary luxuries in times of war, then England is providing France with money to spend in luxuries which England herself cannot afford. Obviously the logical course of action for the Govern- ment to take would be to withhold further loans from France until the French national museums were closed. But the same action would have to be taken against Italy, who isalso receiving loans, for the Italian national museums and art galleries are being kept open. Even semi-bankrupt Germany, who, we have been told on good authority, is so short of men that she is pressing the halt, maimed, and lame into her battle-line, still finds the means not only to keep her national museums open, but to make additions to their contents. The unanimity of action pursued on this point by the three most ex- perienced war ministries of Western Europe should make the Government ask whether the policy they have adopted is really economical or merely penny wise and pound foolish. It has been praised by the Speaker as an ‘‘effort to economise our resources,” but economising our resources does not mean that we should cease using them; and among the nation’s resources must be cer- tainly included the contents of the national museums. These have been accumulated not only for the edifi- cation of provincial or American tourists, but as an

Page 56

The Connoisseur essential adjunct to the higher education of the nation in science, art, and craftsmanship. The need of such an adjunct has been realised by every civilised govern- ment in the world, and unless the Government intend higher education to cease during the war, it is indispen- sable that at least the more important of the national museums and art galleries should be kept open. The French, Italian, and German governments have recog- nised this fact, and though their countries have been far more impoverished by the war than England, they have not allowed either art galleries or museums to remain closed. They know that to do this would prove a serious handicap to the higher and more remunerative forms of national industry after the war. Our own Government estimated that by closing the national institutions they might effect a saving of £50,000 a year—nearly sufficient to pay the cost of the war for a quarter of an hour. On the other hand, £350,000 a year would stili have to be provided for the upkeep of the closed institutions, the contents of which would no longer be accessible to students. These contents re- present one of the more important of the national assets. Their value cannot be estimated even approximately, but it may be taken as certain that, if the Government desired to realise them, a syndicate of American million- aires could be at once formed who would cheerfully pay for them £50,000,000, an amount which, if invested, would bring in an income of £2,500,000 a year. From these figures one may gauge that the national museums and art galleries are worth, in normal times, at least £2,900,000 a year tothe country. The Retrenchment Committee’s recommendations, if adopted in their en- tirety, would have resulted in this being entirely sacri- ficed to effect a saving of £50,o0o—less than 12 per cent. of the total. This can hardly be called ‘‘a valu- able object-lesson in economy,” but is rather an example of gross waste. The Government, however, has not adopted the re- commendations of the Committee in their entirety. A few institutions have been spared, but among those which, so far, have undergone temporary extinction, are the London Museum, the Wallace Collection, the National Portrait Gallery, the Geological Museum, the South Kensington Natural History Museum, and the British Museum ; while only about a third of the National Gallery is now open to the public. Curiously enough, at the same time that this action is taken the announce- ment is made that the Swiss Cottage and the Museum at Osborne, which have been closed to the public for three months, are shortly to be reopened to the public, a thorough process of reorganisation having taken place in the meanwhile. Now the Osborne Museum, though highly interesting, can hardly be called utilitarian. Why, then, is this spared and other far more important and useful institutions closed? The only answer would seem to be that the Government regards all the national museums and art galleries as places of amusement pro- vided for the public, and that it is anxious to keep those open which provide the most popular form of entertain- ment at the least expense. This is a false view of the matter. The national museums are the arsenals from which the votaries of science, literature, and art draw their most effective weapons for the advancement of national culture. If the Government think it necessary to close some of them, it is essential to the higher inter- ests of the nation that these should be limited to institu- tions the contents of which are either largely duplicated elsewhere or which possess a sentimental rather than a utilitarian interest. Under such a programme the Wal- lace Gallery, London Museum, and National Portrait Gallery might be sacrificed for the time being, but the British Museum and Natural History Museum at South Kensington would be kept open. Surely it is not too much to ask the Government to spare these institutions. By a judicious curtailment of the space open to the public, or arranging ‘that certain sections only are to be open at one time, it might be possible to save nearly as much as by totally closing the institutions. If the Government pursues its present in- tentions, there is more than a danger that the country at large will regard its teachings on economy as promoting the idea, that while all forms of amusement may be pursued unchecked, scientific and artistic instruction and research are to be wholly abandoned. PRIVATE collectors, directors of museums, and others who have stored valuable china in places out of the reach of possible Zeppelin bombs, should take the precaution to see that their treasures are protected from damage by other causes, otherwise the remedy may be worse than the original danger. We have been informed by Mr. Frank Partridge, Mr. Stoner, and other well- known dealers that they have found that pieces of china and pottery stored away in cellars and other places where they are liable to suffer from the effects of damp, have been much damaged. In one case some valuable English and Oriental ware which had been stored for some months was found on examination to have suffered irreparable harm. Pieces which had been made in parts, such as Toby jugs, cylindrical vases—particularly Oriental china of the T’ung and Ming periods—had come to pieces, while in another case of some specimens of lacquer vases, the colours had also been affected. Repaired pieces of all kinds are peculiarly lable to such damage. Pottery in particular, being porous, is liable to be affected if it remains for any length of time in a damp atmosphere, and in this country it is very difficult to protect pieces from damp. Consequently every precaution should be taken to see that all packages are kept off the floor, and that air can circulate round every individual package. If the wares are stored in a cellar, a stove should be kept burning, so that the atmosphere should not become damp or laden with moisture. This warning should be taken to heart by owners of valuable pieces, otherwise more damage is likely to be done to our ceramic treasures than would be effected by any number of Zeppelin raids. A Warning to Collectors

Page 57

Curvent Art Notes AN interesting and quite untouched specimen of an oak Elizabethan buffet is now on view at Mr. Frank : Partridge’s Galleries (26, King Old Elizabethan . Bs) (28) oie Street, W.). The piece is typical Oak Buffet of theArmada period, when the great increase in England’s prosperity was turning men’s minds in the direction of having more ornate and luxurious nyt TT ae’ 7a if LAS o-_ Gee « ~) cal 7 PN D\ a ELIZABETHAN OAK BUFFET furniture than hitherto. It was about the middle of Elizabeth’s reign that the double buffet—the predecessor of the modern sideboard—was first evolved, and some very rich pieces of furniture were the result. The specimen illustrated is of a handsome type, and measures 484 in. in width, 17 in. in depth, and 46 in. in height. The oak is very dark, almost black. The cornice is carved with an elaborate and characteristic patterning of scroll-work and flowers, while the centre shelf is embellished with deep lunette carving. The bulbous supports are highly typical of the period. | LADY VICTORIA MANNERS is compiling a life of the artist Zoffany, and would be very grateful if the owners of pictures by or attributed to him would A Life of have the kindness to communicate with Zoffany ; her. She would be especially glad to hear of any letters or documents relating to Zoffany. All letters should be addressed to her to 12, Embankment Gardens, Chelsea. 177 THE thirty-fourth exhibition of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers was characterised by a welcome innova- tion in the introduction of a complete The Royal AWRY: . ‘ . ‘ set of the etchings of Samuel Palmer. Society of : The series comprised ten small works Painter-Etchers , —not sufficient to make a great inroad into the space at the command of the -hangers, but AT MR. FRANK PARTRIDGE’S GALLERY enough to provide a standard of comparison between contemporary work and that of a sterling mid-Victorian etcher. For Palmer, though his last plates were executed on the verge of the ‘‘eighties,” was essentially mid- Victorian in his outlook, exemplifying some ofthe failings, as well as many of the virtues, of the period. The latter may be taken first. Not the least of them was a liking for high finish, which often showed itself in meretricious surface-polish, but not unfrequently was the result of sound and conscientious work. Palmer’s work was of this kind. He was not a great master, but the smallest of his plates are pictorially complete, with the design perfectly consummated and the detail set down to the last iota. In this respect none of the moderns have done better, or even as well, added to which Palmer was a poet who invested nearly all his productions with a fascinating sense of romance and mystery. Yet whenall this is acknowledged, the fact remains that in the technical mastery of his craft Palmer was a child compared to some of our living etchers. His method was based on line

Page 58

The Connoisseur engraving ; it is pure etching, but it strives for the studied and highly wrought effects more apposite to the other method, and so he loses much of the suppleness and vivacity of the needle ; his line is frequently inexpressive and conventional, set down as though he was working with a graver on hard steel, and subject to the limitations and restraints of that implement. One of the few current works shown which could bear comparison with Samuel Palmer’s in its completeness and feeling for mystery was Sir Frank Short’s mezzotint, The Might Picket Boat at Hammersmith, with the surface of the river shimmering with the light of the moon and that of a few lamps. There was fine craftsmanship in this as well as poetic feeling, for Sir Frank, in his exquisite and tender modula- tions of tone, had availed himself of all the legitimate resources of mezzotint. Another important work in the same medium was Mr. Perceval Gaskell’s Harlech Castle. In this, however, the artist had perhaps set too much store on topographical correctness; the mass of the castle was impressive, but a little overpowering, and in this respect his smaller and more spontaneous etching of the same subject from another standpoint was far better composed and balanced. A couple of translations of portraits by Miss Julia E. Clutterbuck were characterised by reticence and showed good quality in the heads, but there was little suggestion of the brushwork or style of the originals. One suspects that the artist hasa difficulty in sufficiently subordinating her own personality to make her an accurate reproducer of another artist’s idiosyn- crasies, and because of this her original work, such as the acquatint of /z the Prison, Porchester Castle, with its powerful suggestion of light and air streaming through a newly opened door, was more interesting. Mr. Herbert Dicksee showed himself in two styles of work : the one smoothly finished, somewhat laboured, and wanting in spontaneity, is that which has been rendered so familiar to the public by a score or more of printsellers’ successes. Its best representative was Zhe Lone Wolf; but better than this were 7he Leopard and Tiger Eating, rendered in the artist’s more free manner, in which the correctness of his draughtsmanship and his natural strength of hand- ling are not concealed under an unnecessary elaboration of surface-finish. The A7z//in of Mr. Neils M. Lund was left in a state rather corresponding to that of an outline etching intended to be filled in with mezzotint, only the centre of the work being characterised with light and shade. The effect was not unpleasing, the guiding lines of the composition being of considerable beauty; but one may hope that when the artist has struck sufficient copies from the work in its present condition, he will carry it a stage further. An original piece of composition was the Broken Column of Mr. Nathaniel Sparks, with a gargoyle projecting halfway across the middle height of the foreground ; it was effective, but would have gained by greater simplicity. Mr. Malcolm Osborne’s Loches showed strong massing of light and shade, and Mr. Charles J. Watson’s Market Morning, St. Lo, fine atmos- pheric feeling. Tree studies were well in evidence. Sir Charles Holroyd’s Lent Beech was a clever study, and Mr. Oliver Hall’s 7ree Composition, near Bardsea Village, a vivid rendering of gale-tossed foliage billowing out like a tattered sail before the wind, was delightfully spontaneous ; then there were several careful and delicately wrought studies by Miss Dorothy E. G. Woollard. Mr. Nelson Dawson was represented by several effective Venetian scenes, among which a //ay-doat and the rich, soft ground etching of A -ish Market may be singled out for special mention. Ze Chank, an Eastern scene, by Mr. Ernest S. Lumsden, rendered the confused crowd of people and animals partly in shade and partly in strong sunlight, with a fine suggestion of local atmosphere and colour. Other works deserving of mention included Mr. J. R. K. Duff’s several pastoral scenes,somewhat sugges- tive of Millet in feeling, though not in technique; Mr. Albany E. Howarth’s important etchings of 7he/ive Sisters of York and The North Transept of Westminster, and the several attractive contributions of M. Eugene Bejot. THE death, at Lee, at the ripe age of ninety-one, of Mr. William Shakespeare Burton, removes one of the Thc Pest ot few remaining links wineh connects William Shake- the present generation with the speare Burton famous pre- Raphaelite movement. Mr. Burton was born in London on June Ist, 1824. While a youth he was employed by Messrs. Palsers, a firm of picture-dealers in King Street, Covent Garden, and there he found time to attend the night school of design at Somerset House, and also to study at the National Gallery. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1846, and between then and 1897 he contributed seventeen pictures to its displays. In 1851 he obtained the Academy gold medal for a picture en- titled Delilah asking forgiveness. of Samson. This was the period in which the recently born pre-Raphaelite movement was beginning to attract attention, and Burton, though he was never closely associated with the Brother- hood, came under its influence. This was exemplified in his now well-known picture of Ze Wounded Cavalier, shown in the Academy of 1856, and now in the per- manent collection at the Guildhall. A reproduction in colour of this picture, together with a full account of it, appeared in THE CONNOISSEUR, vol. xxxii., pages 181 and 201. In his Notes on the Royal Academy, 1856, Mr. Ruskin said of the artist, ‘‘ His work is masterly and he seems capable of the greatest things.” Unfortunately, the rare promise shown in this picture never bore full fruition. Burton injured his eyesight by his close application to the work, and was never able to repeat his success. Though he painted several other popular pictures, it is by 7ze Wounded Cavalier that his reputation will be handed down to posterity. After the purchase of this picture for the Guildhall in 1911, a testimonial was presented to Mr. Burton, which enabled him to pass the few remaining years of his life in comfort. Portraits by Princess Mary Eristoff A COLLECTION of oil portraits by the Princess Mary Eristoff was shown at the Graves Galleries (6, Pall Mall). The artist, who is Russian by birth, is little known in this country. Her work is broad, strong, and handled with great facility, though the execution is some- what wanting in refinement. Among the most successful

Page 59

Current Art Notes portraits was one of Mrs. Nettlefold, in a white dress, seated on a couch, which was noteworthy for its pleasing colour and the bright air of animation with which the artist had invested the sitter. A work possessing great topical interest was a dignified, full-length portrait of the Crown Prince of Servia, while another was that of NXotichenko, the well-known Russian musician. THE movement of art dealers from modern galleries to old houses where pictures and works of art can be shown more or less in an environment Mr. Arthur similar to that for which they were Ruck ‘ee originally designed, has received further exemplification by the removal of Mr. Arthur Ruck to 4, Berkeley Street. This house is now the oldest in the street, which, as readers of Evelyn will remember, was, in 1684, laid out under his directions—together with Stratton Street—in the outlying grounds of Berkeley Housey a mansion which then occupied the site of Devonshire House, and had gardens extending back to the far end of the present Berkeley Square. No. 4, overlooking as it does the grounds of Devonshire and Lansdowne Houses, has still a wide open space in front of it; and the good light resulting from this prospect may have been one of the reasons why it became the residence of John Shackleton — principal painter to George II., and afterwards to George III., until Ram- say superseded him. The interior of the house has been adapted to its present purpose without destroying its old-world character. The hall is fitted up with oak panelling, decorated in Louis XIV. style, an unique feature being the double sedan chair, which, while thoroughly in keeping with its surroundings, serves the useful purpose of a passenger lift to the upper floors. On the ground floor are several small rooms fitted up for the display of pictures, porcelain, and objects of art, while in the larger rooms on the first floor the original Georgian style of decoration has been restored. A novel feature is that the principal artificial lighting emanates from behind the cornice, the lights themselves being invisible, an innovation which is both restful to the eye and ‘highly effective. Important works from several well-known private collections are already in the galleries, but it is impossible to describe these, Mr. Ruck not being an art dealer in the ordinary meaning of the word, but an art agent; that is to say, he privately disposes of works of art on commission for owners anxious to avoid the fluctuating prices of an auction room or the publicity of an orthodox dealer’s gallery. THE exhibition of paintings and etchings by mem- bers of the Artists’ Rifles at ‘‘ Paintings and Etchings,” the Leicester Galleries (Leicester Square), revealed to some degree the great part which members of artistic professions are taking in the The battalion has been established as an officers’ training corps, the members of which, even during their period of training, see actual service in the field. When first started the corps was able to turn out officers at the rate of seventy-five a month; this has since been increased to Paintings and Etchings by the Artists’ Rifles W ar. 179 one hundred. Lord French, in congratulating the corps on its ‘wonderful work,” pointed out that in doing it they had ‘‘ suffered perhaps greater losses than any other regiment” on the Western front. The exhibition itself reflected little of the martial occupation of the exhibitors ; except for 2nd-Lieut. W. Lee Hankey’s impressive Flight from Belgium, L.-Corp. James Thorpe’s High Beach, September, 1915, a clever sheet of caricatures of military officers; and Zhe Pardon, by 2nd-Lieut. A. E. Cooper, which showed in well-toned atmospheric colour- ing a group of English soldiers standing bareheaded in the street of some French town while a religious pro-| cession was passing, there was scarcely an echo of the war in the whole display. Sergt. E. Handley-Read, indeed, awoke anticipations by the title of his large land- scape, Somewhere in France, but the scene depicted was only a lonely rain-sodden highway, fringed with tall poplars, which gave a monumental impressiveness to a somewhat dreary scene. Corp. Gerald Ackerman, in his several breezy and sunny landscapes, was characteristi- cally English in both theme and manner, and the same may be said of L.-Corp. F. Dobson’s sketchy but vigorous Wooded Byway and The Lane, Cornwall; even better was the artist’s strong and broadly treated figure- subject, 4 Sultry Day. Some well-drawn and delicately handled architectural subjects were contributed by Sergt. C. Maresco Pearce; an impressively direct and simple drawing, Zhe Clif; by Captain Gerard Chowne; some finely rendered studies of the nude by Cadet Ernest Cole ; and an elaborate and highly wrought work, entitled 7ze Disciple, Mosque of Almas, Cairo, by Colonel Walter C. Horsley, which recalled in its exact and detailed expres- sion the style of work popular during the Victorian epoch. IT must not be thought that the Artists’ Rifles is the only corps which members of the fraternity have joined, as they are to be found in the ranks of practically every regiment in His Majesty’s service. An interesting point is that of 2nd-Lieut. Collier Smithers, whose well-known picture, Cufiza’s Forge, is reproduced as one of our plates in colour. The subject needs no explanation, and its idealistic sentiment and glowing colour afford a welcome relief to the harsh and lurid war atmosphere in which we are now environed. Mr. Smithers is well known as a portrait painter as well as a painter of genre subjects, and is specially successful in his delineation of children, a point in which the well-drawn and pleasing figures in Cugia’s Forge bear ample testimony. ‘* Cupid’s Forge” By Collier Smithers MESSRS. VICARS Bros. (12, Old Bond Street), who have been very largely instrumental in promoting this attractive and useful form of charity, vie Virogy point out that the stamps are priced ara ao : at one halfpenny each, the whole of the profits going to the British Red Cross Society. The members of the Fine Art Trade Guild have nottaken upthe project to the extent which might have been hoped, but the stamps can be obtained from Messrs. Vicars and most of the leading London philatelic dealers.

Page 60

The Connoisseur ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS Enquiries should be made on the Enquiry Coupon. See Advertising Pages. Arms. Pistol.—Bz24 (Ryde).—We regret that it is impossible to value the pistol, which is a more correct designation for the weapon than ‘‘ gun,” from the diagram only, as this does not permit of us forming any idea of the quality of the mountings. If you could send the piece up to us, we should be able to assist you in the matter. Furniture. Chair.—B24 (Ryde).—We shall require to see a photograph of this, at least, before attempting to report upon it. So far as A PAIR OF MANSION we can judge from the sketch alone, it appears to be an early eighteenth-century production. Painters and Paintings. J. D. Croome.— B26 (Bristol). —J. D. Croome, of London, was a figure-painter who exhibited at the Royal Academy and elsewhere from 1839 to 1852. We do not recall the name of the other artist to whom you refer. | Panico.— B41 (Felixstowe).—Antonio Maria Panico was a scholar of the famous Annibale Caracci, who is said to have assisted him in painting the subject of the Mass in the Cathedral at Farnese. Panico died in 1652. Coypel.—B49 (Evesham).—Charles Antoine Coypel, the author of the painting /#mocence and Cupid, at the Louvre, 0080 0S eeeee——60—00q0q0q0qq————qqqaSqaaaa— Registered for transmission to Canada at Magazine Post Rates. which formed the subject of one of our plates in the Christmas- December number of THE CONNOISSEUR for 1915, was born in 1694, and died in 1752. He was the son and scholar of Antoine Coypel (1661-1722), who was the son and scholar of Noel Coypel (1628-1707), some time director of the French Academy at Rome. Ploos van Amstel.—B54 (Nottingham).—The engraver to whom you refer was Jacob Cornelis Ploos van Amstel, who was born at Amsterdam in 1726, and died there in 179%. Although only an amateur, he devoted himself with considerable energy to engraving plates after the Dutch masters.,; He was also known as a collector of drawings. HOUSE DWARFS Pottery and Porcelain. Wedgwood Tureen.—<AqQ,719 (Stockholm).—It is practi- cally impossible to appraise a value to this piece from the sketches only. Apparently it isan undecorated piece, and, in the absence of further details, we should not think that it would be worth more than about 35s. ‘Mansion House Dwarfs.—B11 (Exeter).—If you are interested in this subject, we should advise you to refer to page 167, vol. xv., of THE CONNOISSEUR, where there is an interesting illustrated article dealing with it. These figures are said to have been suggested by two dwarfs, who are reputed to have stood in the vicinity of the Mansion House about the last quarter of the eighteenth century. The pair which is represented in our illustration comes from the collection at Brambridge Park. Printed by Bemrose & Sons Ltd., 4 Snow Hill, London, E.C., and Derby, and published by the Proprietors, Otto Ltd., at HANOVER BUILDINGS, 35 to 39 MADDOX STREET, LONDON, W., England. Subscriptions—Inland 16/-, Foreign 17/-, to Canada 14/-, per annum. Published the 1st of each month. Published by Gordon & Gotch, in Australia and New Zealand; by The Central News Agency, in South Africa; by Higginbotham & Co., in Bombay and Calcutta; and by The International News Co., in U.S.A.